Green Linden Press

Visions & Revisions

ردوها عليّ فطفق مسحاً بالسوق والأعناق
“‘Return them me.’ He gashed their shanks and necks.”
—Ṣāḍ 33

Fairfax means fair hair.
Named after a family
Of right honourable heirs,
It sprawls a City and County
Of curling Circles, Courts, Centers, Squares.

Fairfax Corner, Fairfax Lane,
Fairfax paved like braided mane.

Sir Lord Thomas (which?)
Put on gallant airs.
William settled 1626.
Nicholas trailed
A week in years. Ferdinando dragged his feet.

Fairfax Now, Fairfax Then,
Fairfax Time and Time again.

They brought mowers to meet
Gardens, woods, meadows, floods;
Bought lands, hands, acres, feet.
Alice planted redbuds.
Jane the horses greet.

Fairfax Commons, Fairfax Mall,
Fairfax Station, Fairfax Stall.

Meantime, at Appleton,
Ellen of the downy
Added combs to her collection,
While the fair faxed faux of Langley
Cultivated Conceit—

Fairfax Real, Fairfax Fake,
Fairfax Park, Fairfax Lake—

Minoxidilled their scalps,
Held epic mirror sessions,
Until their temples palped,
Until their visions lessened,
Until their hair fell out.

Stare down your Fakefax days,
Your home from home away.

Sherif Abdelkarim teaches literature and historical linguistics at Grinnell College.

ISSN 2472-338X
© 2020