Baghdad Blog
Catriona Yule
watched a potted history of Baghdad
called the Baghdad Blogger by
a man called Salam Pax
and he said that bakers got attacked
because they sold bread
to the Iraqi police
and barbers got attacked
because they shave beards
and anyone who shaves beards
in Baghdad is bad
(the only barber from Sian
wouldn't show his face on camera)
and he said when you leave home
you expect an explosion
so you say the last rites
and other people most attacked
were university lecturers
a death list circulated 470 names
and then there were two national
tennis players killed — people think —
for wearing shorts or showing knees
but they could have been killed
for wearing red or having spiky
or gelled hair — Salam Pax said —
in the potted history of Baghdad
Published in Pushing
Out the Boat Issue 6, 2007
(Pushing Out the Boat)
and in Shedding Skin, 2007
(Koo Press)
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