Gold, Tarnished

Naima Muminiy

Tarnished silver hangs from my earlobes, 
turning my skin green. 
I come from the city of gold. 
Tilla Kari Madrassah built by the hands of those 
with whom I share blood.
The city of gold glimmers for all.
Yet, tarnished silver hangs from my earlobes, 
given to me by hands bound by blood lineage, 
by those who promised me gold. 

Naima Muminiy is a Washington, DC-based law student, occasional writer, and parakeet enthusiast. Born in and from Samarqand, Uzbekistan, but raised in the United States, she spends her time navigating the complexities of being Tajik-American and how to put them into words — and sometimes through art. Mummy’s works include illustrations for Nodira and Uvaysiy: Selected Poems and publication in Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs.