Empathy for Ashraf Fayadh

I am, for now, living in mercy,
yet still paying for other peoples’ sins
against my self
I cannot pay for other peoples’ sins,
yet they insist I can.
Routinely, they whisper in my ear
of which of their sins I’m guilty,
then, they beat me with their sins;
perhaps they think I will believe them this way.

If I survive, they will make me tell them
I’m sorry for sins I didn’t commit.
I do have some sins,
but what that means is
I cannot pay for yours.

Thank you for reading.
To read Ashraf Fayadh’s poetry, visit Arabic Literature (in English)
To learn more about Ashraf Fayadh, visit AshrafFayadh.org

This poem is part of the Day of Creativity for Ashraf Fayadh