Hey, podcast listeners, it's Anne here.

For National Poetry Month, we're partnering with the new poetry website, Asphodel.Info, to bring you a new series, The News from Poems.

Each week, a major American poet writes a brand new original work in response to current events.

So this week's poet joins us from Houston.

His name is Fadi Judah.

And in addition to being a poet, he's also a practicing physician.

He spent years working as an ER doctor.

He's also done stints with doctors without borders.

Faddy is the son of Palestinian refugees,

and he's also published several award-winning translations of Palestinian poetry, so let's hear his new poem.

Brush with Symbols.

America, I'm downloading your heart your giga and my CPU is slow

I will have your Corazon when I'm in the dirt if If citizen is gold and revolution silicon,

will you take off your clothes and FaceTime me?

We're not supposed to.

Suppose we are.

To end here, we do.

And every we is schizo and I, for every poem a length, and for each span a loyalty oath.

America, my motherboard, has been acting up since spanking new.

My mother ship all roots, and we're one boot after reboot.

Your windows are apples from a tree.

Did I take out the trash?

...