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      January 14, 2015Dua for DervishesMichael Cirelli

      The crests of his dress
      In 3s like sets of waves,
      An O on the stage, a groove
      Ground by soft leather soles
      O perfect circle etched!
      O spinning cipher human planet!
      O the body void! O null.
      Everything the Sufi does
      Is for the love of Allah I’m told.
      But when the dance was over
      He came out smoking a Marlboro
      In a cheap pleather jacket
      And knockoff Nikes.
      His hair flopped limp
      On his forehead with each
      Overextended inhale.
      O the disappointment
      As he scrolled on his smartphone,
      Earbuds clogging his head
      With Katy Perry I now suspect.
      O Facebook for the love of Allah!
      O fake Nikes for the love of Allah!
      O iPhones O iTunes O iClouds
      Overhead for the love of Allah.
      Roar for the love of Allah!
      I ran into my accountant halfway
      Around the world that night,
      My accountant for the love of Allah.

      from #45 - Fall 2014

      Michael Cirelli

      “To describe my faith would take chapters, but I’ve finally and thankfully landed on Islam (or it landed on me—Mash’Allah). It is a widely misinterpreted, misrepresented religion of submission and peace, one that champions women, justice and inclusion. Islam affects my poetry in complex ways, and in some cases, as a fairly new Muslim, I exoticize my faith and journey. I struggle to find a balance as a writer who ‘wants to share it all,’ and my personal/private relationship with God.”

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