English, World, Palestinian, American, Suheir Hammad, Poetry, Collection, Languages, Jordan

What I Will by Suheir Hammad

By T.

1 April 2026

1.06k

What I Will
Suheir Hammad

I will not
dance to your war
drum. I will
not lend my soul nor
my bones to your war
drum. I will
not dance to your
beating. I know that beat.
It is lifeless. I know
intimately that skin
you are hitting. It
was alive once
hunted stolen
stretched. I will
not dance to your drummed
up war. I will not pop
spin break for you. I
will not hate for you or
even hate you. I will
not kill for you. Especially
I will not die
for you. I will not mourn
the dead with murder nor
suicide. I will not side
with you nor dance to bombs
because everyone else is
dancing. Everyone can be
wrong. Life is a right not
collateral or casual. I
will not forget where
I come from. I
will craft my own drum. Gather my beloved
near and our chanting
will be dancing. Our
humming will be drumming. I
will not be played. I
will not lend my name
nor my rhythm to your
beat. I will dance
and resist and dance and
persist and dance. This heartbeat is louder than
death. Your war drum ain’t
louder than this breath.

KEEP READING

SHARED WITH GRATITUDE

This poem appeared in ZaatarDiva by Suheir Hammad, published by Cypher Books, 2008. (Available on: Amazon • Bookshop)

DESCRIPTION

“Poetry. With accompanying CD. Fresh from her Tony-Award winning stint in Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam on Broadway and a subsequent 51-city tour, Suheir Hammad has written her first collection of poetry since BORN PALESTINIAN, BORN BLACK, published when she was just 22 years old. ZAATARDIVA is poetry about love, politics and art, all coming out of Hammad’s bag of zaatar. The poems in this collection are at once seductive and dangerous; they are possessed by a singular lyricism and awareness.

“ZAATARDIVA summons through moments of lyrical insight and urbane wit, again and again, and before we know what has happened, we are hooked. Here’s a poetry that urges a wholeness—a crossing of borders—as the personal is woven into the public, whereby a ‘prodigal daughter’ possesses her own knowing voice. Each poem in ZAATARDIVA is heart-driven by the urgent, raw orality of need. And, there is a glistening barb in each turn of phrase—a lure of quicksilver accuracy.”—Yusef Komunyakaa” (Source)

ABOUT SUHEIR HAMMAD

Twenty-six-year-old Palestinian American poet and political activist Suheir Hammad has published a book of poems, Born Palestinian, Born Black, and a memoir, Drops Of This Story, and is prominently featured in Listen Up! An Anthology Of Spoken Word Poetry. Recipient of the Audre Lourde Writing Award from Hunter College, the Morris Center for Healing Poetry Award, and a New York Mills Artist Residency in Minnesota, Hammad is a frequent reader at New York reading venues, including… (more)