The Ofi Press Magazine

International Poetry and Literature from Mexico City

Ali Znaidi: 1 Poem Published

Scraping Shallow Shells

 

I lost my brain in the sun.

Words thawed.

Beads of sweat clumsily

dropped like a gawky dancer.

Sweat, the brain shrank.

A bottle of water.

I pretended thirst.

The brain was burned to a crisp.

Apple crisp, or apple pie.

I settled for -------------.

Metaphors were there

to sc(rape) the brain’s shallow shells

off.

& my brain was submerged by

new metaphors, glowing details

& overwhelming images.

Now totally lost

& beads of sweat were still here

clumsily dancing in the body’s

               dancefloor

  Poem by Ali Znaidi, Tunisia (Published in Issue 26)

Ali Znaidi (b.1977) lives in Redeyef, Tunisia where he teaches English at Tunisian public secondary schools. His work has appeared in Otoliths, The Tower Journal, streetcake, Ink Sweat and Tears, Mad Swirl, Unlikely Stories: Episode IV, Red Fez, Carcinogenic Poetry, and other ezines. His debut poetry chapbook Experimental Ruminations was published in September 2012 by Fowlpox Press (Canada). He also writes flash fiction for the Six Sentence Social Network—http://sixsentences.ning.com/profile/AliZnaidi