“Holy” by WITS Student Abdullahi Mohamed
February 8, 2017
Holy
the first breath you take and
the last exhale of your life, Holy
the song stuck in your head, Holy
from a hug to a kiss to love, Holy
the new jeans you bought, Holy
when you looked better in the picture, Holy
from the speed talker to the stutterers, Holy
the anger passing you that no one realizes
the times spent with family and
laughter shared with your peers
that first bite and last sip, Holy
Abdullahi Mohamed wrote this poem while a student at West Seattle High School, with WITS Writer-in-Residence Daemond Arrindell. He opened our evening with Ross Gay, who gave a reading for SAL’s 2016/17 Poetry Series at McCaw Hall, Nesholm Family Lecture Hall, on February 7, 2017.