... because Sumayyah Said So.

Picture this: a group of young people, maybe ages 7 to 17, standing in a crowd. You know them, because you've laughed at them, called them names, pranked them, ridiculed them, all in the name of "fun." Or maybe you try to "help" them, by changing their accents, their hair, their clothes. Or you try to "save" them by leading them to "The Light."

Whatever.

Now try listening to what they have to say.

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normal

i want to be normal
to be free from… Continue

dirty little secret
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lost my pristine wings
when grace was rescinded
there's no mercy for the likes of me
made to wander
as a flightless bird
cursed and marked
blessed and clean
i live among The Fallen
and rest among The Meek
hoping to inherit the Earth
cross and crescent
burned into my palms
six-pointed star on my face
third eye blind
chakras misaligned
double-headed snake tattoo
dancing on my arm
suffering the fate of perpetual scorn

i'm an… Continue

A poem. Enjoy!
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stop the world
and let me off
it's turning much too fast
sun rise sun set
moon up
nightfall
the days are running from me
i can't breathe
at this speed
can we at least
slow it down?
my concentration
has fractured in places
and i'm filled to the brim
with despair
where's the fun i used to have
lazing around in the noon sun?
where's the boredom i
used to claim
late at night
watching the minutes tick away?

stop the world
and let me off
my head seems
ready to explode… Continue

from my website Sumayyah Said So

falling star

when that freedom calls
from across the river wild
horses could not impede my path
never stop the beating of my heart
never keep me down
don't hide the sun from my eyes
let me see the world
i will inherit this moment
ancient blood
flowing through my veins
from the first woman and man
i claim my place in history
don't you dare look down on me
because my skin's tone
is deeper than the sea
th… Continue

"Weird."

"Abnormal."

"Strange"

And my personal favorite, "blasphemer."

In Islam, music is an extremely controversial issue. There are people on both sides of the extreme, from the very conservative "only Qur'an recitation is permitted" to the very liberal "listen to whatever you like and play it very loudly." Having been raised surrounded by music, having sung in a choir in my youth (until I learned that I could not sing to save my life, but that is something else all together), and currentl… Continue