Nada Faris

Dear Paul Gauguin It cannot revive confidence, or reattach the skin you sliced on impulse. Balanced on the ground were my two feet, firm even after yours lunged forward. Forgiveness is a word translucent, unlike the auricle that dropped with an audible plop next to my toes, but loyalty is an emotion I harbor, and madness the excuse and reason I take the blame for your departure. The Grandeur of Saturn When you took me to the planetarium you showed me constellations of interiors lacking surfaces. “The future demands concessions,” you said. Why then is your telescope pointing at 1967? Never mind the ring that encapsulates the king of planets, it’s Saturn you brought me to gaze upon with reverence. Said the Expert Remember to keep your back straight, when vestigial droplets of knowledge emanate. Pace is also a basal element, for the spectacle of intelligence. Drift off like a lazy canoe on a river you swore you rode last summer, and end your novel account with the a question to deflect attention from lacunae.

Nada Faris is a Kuwaiti writer who publishes poems, articles and fiction in English. She is referred to as "Kuwait's Finest Slam Poet" for receiving back-to-back awards. In 2013, she was selected by the International Writing Program for a writing residency at Iowa University. Faris has a BA in English Literature from Kuwait University, and is currently finalizing a Master's thesis in Comparative Literature. Her book, Before Young Adult Fiction, is a collection of award-winning pieces that shaped her writing voice.