The Reader Is The King Poem by Atef Ayadi

The Reader Is The King



Because of stereotypes
I never had a job
The competitive salary and bonuses
Are but dreams I do not need.
My name,
My resume,
My face,
My accent,
I did not choose them!
They may seem a mask;
But ignorance could berry
The golden facade of
Human dignity.

Because of stereotypes
I lost Eileen,
Since the first few minutes
I met her.
I was told I harassed her;
That is way she is important to me.
I doubt she is important to you.
You are entitled to love
To fantasize,
To have Victorian house,
Victorian Car,
And Victorian fancy dreams,
Great bank account, and
Have apolitical agenda,
But you can not change
Neither me nor the meaning of Eileen.

Because of stereotypes
I was seen as a pilot
Actually, the FBI questioned me.
I never dreamed to see them personally
Except maybe in the big screen.

Because of stereotypes
Some drunken students
Trashed me with beer cans while they were driving;
“Go home Mexican! ” they said.
A police officer stopped me because I bike
Other they give me a glance and disappear
“Why you are here? ” with a paranoid tone and glance,
Not a human curiosity period.

Do I look like a terrorist?
Does a terrorist need a face?
Do I espouse the WANTED profile?
May be?
It is still your belief
Justified or unjustified
You still have the rights to make it a debate.

Because of stereotypes
You choose me to be:
The perfect sacrifice
For Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery
And being mistaken for
The perfect Kate Chopin's The Awakening
I SILL love myself,
I love nature,
And I still love all living beings
Unconditionally.
I choose to be The Stranger of Albert Camu
Living in the green Midwest of
Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451
With the mind of Joseph Campbell and Hugo,
And the heart of Arthur Rimbaud.

Because of stereotypes
I am not paranoid;
I read more than ever,
Write more than ever,
Sculpt and paint more than ever.
It may take me to the extreme
It may terrorize you;
But, I do not think
My aim is not that!

Because of stereotypes
I say: “I think”
Rather than “I believe.”
Because of stereotypes
I knew about myself
More than you know about your
Stereotypes.

Because of stereotypes
I made my own heaven
I do not need god for that
God is for the mistaken,
The weakest link, and
For people with a hell of stereotypes.

Because of stereotypes
I feel sorry for your losses
And your discomfort;
Because they are mine too.

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