Five Poems by Ibn-Umar Abbasparker

An Unwanted Choice

 

“Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”

 

With those words,

George W. Bush drew

a line in the sand

and told every Muslim in America

to pick a side:

 

ally or enemy,

country or faith,

America or Islam.

 

Why?

 

Why were Muslims forced

into a false dichotomy

when no other

religious group was?

 

Christians weren’t;

Jews weren’t;

Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs weren’t.

So why only Muslims then? 

 

 

On A Late Summer Sunday Night

 

“Emails” by Yung Lean is

playing through my headphones.

I take another sip of

Blue Moon beer as I stare

at the hazy orange streetlight

outside of my bedroom window.

The streets are quiet tonight;

a rare occasion. I go to the

bathroom to piss and return to

finish the beer. My third one so far.

I lay down on my firm mattress.

As I ponder this present situation,

the alcohol performs its

sleep-inducing magic. I take off

my headphones, close my eyes, and

float away into soporific bliss. 

 

 

A Poem Inspired by Cowboy Bebop

 

My left eye gazes at the past

while my right eye views the present.

Because of this split focus, I fail

to create a future for myself. 

 

 

Thursday Morning

 

The white daffodils are starting to rot.

 

I notice them from

my bathroom window as

I get ready for work,

 

After brushing my teeth,

I pause and look at

myself in the mirror:

 

forehead lines, bags under

my eyes, a receding hairline,

and a slight muffin top.

 

Ten years may go by fast,

but they leave a few marks.

Oh, well. I finish getting

 

dressed, grab my coat, and

head to my car. Once inside,

I glance at the daffodils

 

and see a white petal fall

to the ground. Then, I start my

car and drive off to work.

 

The day continues its usual march. 

 

 

A.Y.

 

Not much has changed for him since high school.

He still lives in his grandmother’s house,

still works a dead-end retail job at the mall,

and still runs with the same circle in

his hometown. He also quit community college

after just three semesters. Thus, his world matches

the size of his ambition: small and limited.

It’s almost sad that this 29-year-old “man”

maintains the life of a suburban teenage boy.

Yet, this is what he wants: freedom from

responsibility, struggle, and growth (i.e. adulthood).

He’s a classic case of Peter Pan syndrome,

but with a bad haircut. Even if it’s not

visible to him, other people can clearly see it.

They move forward with their adult concerns

while he remains stuck in stagnation. His

only plan for the future involves

living off his grandmother’s inheritance

once she passes. Meanwhile, he spends his nights

perusing Pornhub, Instagram, and Twitch

in a room stacked with collectible toys.

Ibn-Umar Abbasparker was born in the city of Newark, New Jersey but he grew up in the sleepy suburb of Sayreville, New Jersey. He has been writing poetry since high school. Poetry has led him to several intriguing places, allowed him to meet interesting people, and develop new connections over the years. This has transformed Ibn's simple interest into a sharp passion for writing poetry. Along with writing poetry, he also likes to read books and collect coins. He has had poems published in The Literary Hatchet, Soupcon Magazine and SCAB Magazine.