Dr. Anissa Sboui is a University teacher and poet from Sousse, Tunisia. She is the writer of six volumes: Rebirth (2018), Transcend (2019), Number One (2020), The Co-Avid Breath (2021), Hurricane (2022), Halcyon and Screaming Earth (2023). She wrote three short stories: “The Moody Bookworm”, “Alone” and “Coincidence” along with three volumes in Arabic. She also produced two books titled Literary Reflections and Representations: A Series of Critical Essays (2022) and ‘Hurrying Truth’ in the Poetry of Anne Sexton (2023).

On Being Brought from Sub-Saharan Africa to Tunisia

I see the orchestrators of wars
Weaving the same cloth of bloodshed
The same pants of occupation
The same dress of lies
Of tricky donations
International gatherings
Global meetings
Urgent masquerade
New Palestine to be colonized
I'm afraid of repeating the same scenario
I'm afraid that the same scheme will be executed here in my homeland
Yeah, I have to spur fear
The silent war is clear
Millions of Africans will share my territory
Under the umbrella of ceasing migration to the land of opportunity
I'm afraid...
I'm afraid...
I see a bird from Tel Aviv
With a Beak like a missile
And legs like small bombs
And wings like fighter jets
Approaching my solemn skies
My heart cries, my mind dies, my kidney fries like pop potatoes in a second hand oven brought from car boots
Doors await shoots
Roofs shiver like wooden boats during heavy storms
Thresholds think twice before succumbing to imposed norms...
Danger permeates with no sound
I'm scared
Worried
To be cast away one day
To be a shadow in my quiet house
To be squeezed like a single mouse
To have everything burnt
To see Ku Klux Klan around
Or be kicked out like a silly cockroach
Hey, Mr European peace coach
Have mercy
On those black bodies crossing
Algerian Sahara bare feet
While you only wish to have another governmental seat
Hey, Ms sweet minister
Tunisia can't be a new fort
For troops to transport
From African jungles without passport
Hey everyone, still believing in Freedom
In utter sovereignty,
We're aware
And we swear
By Allah
That that plan will never take place
As long as we are accredited with respecting heterogeneous race