'Matchbox Hopes' by Zara Al-Noah

They strip-search our dignity,
our flag of identity wavering in
gusts of uniform, puppet hands
ransack our suitcases as
they bleach my father’s heart.

I keep my matchbox cars
on my person, harbouring
gathered hopes that I dared to exhale
under their roofs, their
undulating bodies the
mountains I learnt to walk on.

I pinch a slanted air as I mop
up foreign pity, the steps
down to singed tarmac each
ring with free fear, tympanic
membranes freezing to the
symphony of British winter,
a chorus melting my name to clay,
to flavour tilted palates.

Still, my Mother lays the table,
settles plates with a simmered blessing,
still, my brother’s doughy limbs
flap sultry gasps of cardamom,
and on their wheels, scrunching the
patterned tablecloth, I parade
my collectable hopes, passing them
to my brothers and sisters.

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Zara Al-Noah's poem, titled "Matchbox Hopes," is a captivating piece from her debut poetry book, 'Flooding a Matchbox.' Within its verses, the poem illuminates the experiences of being stripped of dignity and identity, with puppet-like hands rummaging through suitcases and attempting to bleach a father's heart. Yet, amidst the turmoil, the speaker clings to a matchbox car, a symbol of gathered hopes that they cautiously exhale under the roofs of their oppressors. And in this intimate setting, the speaker proudly parades their collectable hopes, passing them on to their brothers and sisters, symbolizing a steadfast commitment to a brighter future.