this was the last time i logged into my work e-mail
i am no longer the monster i once was
my whole life i never got a fair share of the pie
from now on i’m going to draw a sharp line between me and my
surroundings
i’ll just grab my diary
today i decided to start tomorrow
one last darn attempt at recovery
i was born with two vaginas
and i don’t believe in doors
this is my third death already and i’m only in my thirties
i don’t believe in civil wars either
even if i hate your culture
maybe we’re related because i’ve got
two more half-brothers somewhere
when i die i want to be there
i don’t want it in my sleep i
want to say goodbye don’t go without me
Asha Karami
I DON'T WORK FOR YOU NO MORE
About Asha Karami
Asha Karami writes poetry and plays. She lives in Amsterdam and works as a doctor in youth health care. In 2018, she won second place at the National Poetry Slam championship, having competed as an ‘anti-performance’ performer. Her highly lauded debut, Godface, was published in 2019 and nominated for Herman de Coninckprijs, De Grote Poëzieprijs and E. du Perronprijs. In 2020-2021 she was a writer in residence at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht. She is an editor at De Internet Gids and program maker at Perdu, institute for Poetry and Experiment. Together with Johan van Dijke, she creates poetry films, of which 'God is not a sexist' was selected for Zebra poetry film festival.
The contours of Karami’s poems are porous; voices, moods, locations, and time merge in writing that is not bound by traditional form. Relentless rhythm gives way to space and silence. Narrative elements are juxtaposed, paradoxically allowing the poems to be understood, without the separate elements being perceived as logical or clear. This paradox makes the work exciting, addictive and elusive. Karami’s keen eye, self-mockery and humor make Godface a unique and intriguing debut.
