
“Sniped Sonnet,” a Poem by Zeina Hashem Beck
From the Author of “O”
we will lose
our minds.
we will mind
our losses. we will be
bitter & drug
ourselves to sleep.
we will chant
in sardonic
Arabic: شمال يمين
we will language you into
oblivion. iykyk.
& we won’t forgive.
& we won’t forget
& we won’t forget.
& we won’t forgive
oblivion. iykyk:
we will language you into
Arabic— شمال يمين
in sardonic
we will chant
ourselves to sleep.
bitter & drug
our losses. we will be.
we will mind
our minds.
we will lose

Zeina Hashem Beck
Zeina Hashem Beck is a Lebanese poet. Her poetry collection, O (Penguin Books, 2022) won the 2023 George Ellenbogen Poetry Award. She’s also the author of Louder than Hearts (Bauhan Publishing, 2017), To Live in Autumn (The Backwaters Press, 2014) as well as two chapbooks: 3arabi Song (Rattle, 2016) and There Was and How Much There Was (smith|doorstop, 2016). Her work appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Nation, and elsewhere. She recently moved to California with her husband and two daughters.