Born in Hyderabad, India and raised in both the UK and the US, Sham-e-Ali Nayeem is a Philadelphia based poet and visual artist. A former public interest lawyer supporting economic justice for survivors of family and intimate partner violence, Sham-e-Ali’s poetry is widely published in various publications and anthologies. She is a recipient of the Loft Literary Center’s Spoken Word Immersion Fellowship and her poetry can be found in anthologies such as, Shattering the Stereotypes: Muslim Women Speak Out (Olive Branch Press, 2005), Living Islam Out Loud: American Muslim Women Speak (Beacon Press, 2005) and “Shout Out: Women of Color Respond to Violence” (Seal Press, 2008). Sham-e-Ali has performed her poetry both locally & internationally. She is currently working on her forthcoming book of poetry, "City of Pearls" (2018, Upset Press).
Impossible
In response to the Muslim Ban
how do you ban soul
spring, stars,
a butterfly's path
dense ocean basin currents
guiding songs of whales
orbit of moon?