“Hijabis” by Sahar Romani
Every time we pass
along sidewalks
or grocery aisles
spot each other
graze books
on library shelves
load towels
at the laundromat
or when
on a crowded bus
in Detroit or Seattle
our eyes catch
on the slant
of a second
we mouth
a silent salam –
song of a fist-bump
arc of a high-five
so what
if we are strangers
here, we are falcons
in flight.