I Grew Up and Forgot to Forget novel

They always told me: “You’re growing up and forgetting.”

When I fell and split my eyebrow,

When the math teacher forced me to stand facing the wall

because I forgot that 7 × 6 = 42,

When my bike broke and they didn’t buy me another

so I wouldn’t break it,

When the bottle of my spirit shattered when my parents died,

When I didn’t die myself,

When the world was abundant, and I was alone,

When I sacrificed my brother’s doll because “Barbie” was forbidden

and banned “SpaceToon” channel because “Pokemon” was forbidden.

When I removed the pictures of my parents from the frame

and buried them in the broken drawer

so the angels wouldn’t be expelled,

When the cracks in the walls filled with demons

when I was forced to enter the girls’ college,

to preserve my chastity.

When they offered me to their friend for marriage,

to preserve my chastity.

When I tore the covers of my books to protect them from burning.

When I wrote my first poem under a box of tissues, trembling with fear.

When someone pulled my headscarf off in my first poetic morning.

When they finally slapped me, they all said: “You’re growing up and forgetting.”

The problem is that I grew up and didn’t forget,

I grew up and forgot to forget…

Author’s Name:

Buthaina Al-Eissa

Book Genre:

Novel

Publication Date:

2013