My Nerves Have The Best of Me

My Nerves Have The Best of Me 

By: Husam (Sam) Salman

First dates

Pleasant company

Warm smiles and warmer hugs

Stories of the past, present and future

Besties in seconds 

Conversations with a stranger 

The feeling of familiarity

Connection

Unconditional love

The palaver of bullshit...and loving it 

The toast

The kiss

The sensation of solidarity of self in a moment with someone else

Talking about seeing each other again

… Then seeing each other again

#DreamsDoComeTrue

Mommy Look

Mommy Look

By: Husam (Sam) Salman

Mommy look, a police officer killed that poor innocent black man.

No honey, the officer was taking care of a bad man who must have done something real evil.

No mommy, they said he was just standing there and didn’t do anything.

No honey, that’s what they want you to think. He must have had a gun.

No mommy, they said that the man didn’t have a gun.

No honey, he must have thrown the gun.

No mommy, there is a video…that he took at the time he was shot.

No honey, they must have doctored the video to show you the bad man as the victim.

No mommy, it was his video…he posted it himself – LIVE!

No honey, he…

No mommy, NO!

This because he’s black, isn’t it?

…I, I think it is…

No, mom!

Where I Once Called ‘Home’

Where I Once Called ‘Home’

By: Husam (Sam) Salman

Sunset and Hollywood,
An Uber driving me far.
So there may be no missing of the bar,
There I cast my net,
But the catch is dowsed in bourbon & rye,
Too cross-faded to flail or put up a fight,
Summoned courage from the soul core of infinite identity
Bring him home.
‘Til dawn and roster crows,
 And then his eyes in the sunlight!
Hope to never say ‘goodbye’,
When I step out;
For days and days are due to work
Treks may set my path,
I look for the familiar face
When I’m served a drink.