Black Poets: Safia Elhillo

…where do you live?

broken dishes in the water

where do you live?…

In light of the ongoing war in Sudan, voices like Safia Elhillo’s—blending Sudanese and Western influences—carry the responsibility of advocating for peace through their art. ‘Language is the currency of poetry,’ award-winning poet Safia Elhillo once said. In her poetry, she bends, breaks, and reshapes words to convey a message of directness and wistfulness, reflecting the complexity of her Sudanese-American heritage.

Born in Maryland in 1990, Safia has lived a nomadic life, but she always identified deeply with her Sudanese roots, with Arabic as her first language. Living in America introduced her to a new language and culture and the tension between these worlds created a space where poetry became a tool for hybrid expression.

Safia holds a BA from New York University’s Gallatin School and an MFA in poetry from The New School, both of which have shaped her into an award-winning poet, performer, and teacher. Now based in Los Angeles, she continues to use her art as a platform for peace, dialogue, and cultural bridge-building.

Application For Asylum By Safia Elhillo

How did you learn fear?

i crossed a body of water

how did you learn fear?

i grew a new american body it was the summer [      ] died

& now?

i don’t like to be touched

what do you do?

i keep having the dream where my brother is dead i wake up & can’t remember where he lives

where do you live?

broken dishes in the water

where do you live?

[      ] died teenaged & his brother died too they were moonfaced & dark

where do you live?

we came here to be safe we crossed a body of water

where did you hide?

[      ] was killed in the summer in the country we asked to keep us

what do you hide?

it makes the bleeding brand new

what did you lose?

they were identical twins they look like my brother broken dishes in the water i don’t know where we’ll go.

Keyu Usani
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A proficient article writer, research analyst and copy editor. I have loved books for as long as I can remember. From the smell of books just out of their wraps to the feel when I run my fingertips down the spine, the fonts and sizes, the various ways cover and internal elements are arranged as much as the places books take me to and the people I meet within those pages. Archiving poetry is a special passion.