‘Encantada to Laughter,’ Zhannat Alshanova + Rebekah Smith

‘Encantada to Laughter,’ Zhannat Alshanova + Rebekah Smith

Encantada to Laughter with Velimir Khlebnikov and Paul Schmidt Oh laugh it out laugherlings lauflings flingings Rassmeites, i smeemsya We laugh and and we laughed On the way to the store laughling I pass a police officer and He is not laughing and He laughed to see my documents, He asked to see my documents I laugh now but didn’t then, but later but later— Where are you going? What are you doing there? Can I see— Can I see your documents? Where are you coming from? It says here you are not married, are you not married? It says here you’re born in 1992, were you born in 1992? I laugh now but didn’t then but started to Started, too, to realize Yes, I am single and born in 1992 but no, I won’t go out with you. This is a pandemic This is not safe it’s not even perhaps very legal and NO I am single, and now I am laughing and was born in 1992 but please no, I will not go out with you or even show you my documents again Even though I have to Even though if I don’t show you my documents I risk arrest I risk a fine I risk imprisonment Even though by walking to the store to buy the food I need to eat even though by just walking I risk my health and the health of others, including yours, dear officer Dear officer, whose eyes look so young behind that hat and helmet and mask and I cry a little inside, thinking about your own need to ask young women for documents, and do you ask the old? Do you ask the men? Do you ask only the good looking ones? Do you ask only those who frighten you? Do you ask depending on skin color or height or cut of the pants around the waist? Who else do you ask? Yes I am born in 1992, yes I am single, currently, but that currency won’t end or even try to begin with you. You are confusing me, I was nervous or annoyed or beginning to get concerned and then angry and then I had to start laughing laughing out laughingly It’s perhaps the only thing the only way to the only way for me to— Zhannat Alshanova + Rebekah Smith

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