That Tuesday
 |
A U.S. strike hit a home hosting a wedding in Kuhestak, Hormozgan province, Iran on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. |
The clock came down from the wall
and sat upon the rubble.
and sat upon the rubble.
Three birds
emerged from a soldier’s pocket,
and the headless horse
spent the whole night
searching for its owner.
The bride
has not yet left,
with a hand that bears no ring
and an I do
that did not survive
the blood.
When morning came,
Tuesday was still there.
In the corner,
someone had left
a suit jacket
smelling of smoke.
No one claimed it.
Shirin Jabalameli is an Iranian poet, artist, and writer. Her poems have appeared in international journals including Braided Way Magazine (USA), The Lake (UK), The New Verse News (USA), and Poetry Super Highway (USA), where she was selected Poet of the Week. She has authored books including Crows Rarely Laugh, Apranik, 101 Moments, and 25 Fell from the Frame; her latest book titled Beneath the Skin of Tehran was recently published. She was nominated for the 2026 Pushcart Prize for her poem “The Lineage of Birds”. Her short story “The Red Thread” was selected among the Top 25 Works Worldwide for the Hannah Arendt Special Edition presented by the International Human Rights Art Movement in Manhattan, New York.
