Archives for May, 2004

On Malcolm X, after having watched Ali with me:
my sister: fathima, in real life did malcolm x die?
me: yeah -
sis: i mean, did he get shot?
me: yeah. [thinking: 15 times.]
sis: but why?
me: cuz some people didn’t like him
sis: but you can’t just kill someone cuz you don’t like him.
me: yea i know Â… but some people don’t do that.
sis: i don’t like Tristan and i donÂ’t kill him.
me: [no comment]
sis: i just call him a spoiled brat.

later
sis: fathima, was every second in that story real?
me: no.
sis: but it was based on a real story?
me: yeah.
sis: so parts of it are real and parts arenÂ’t.
me: Â… yeah. [thinking: but -]

- and your spirit is a human being
:: Malcolm X, from the movie.

It was the first snow of the year and I’d just come in from outside.
“Why’re you crying?”
The snowflakes had clung to my glasses and melted.
Outside the whirling white slowly faded.