The Tattooed Poets Project: Khadija Anderson

Our next tattooed poet, <a href="http://khadijaanderson.com/">Khadija Anderson</a>, expressed an interest in our Tattooed Poets Project last year, so we're happy we were able to finalize her contribution for 2013.<br /><br />Noting "it was hard to choose since I love all my 7 tattoos!" Khadija sent us this photo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRe1gOaK1cBmn05Xs-cm1tqdYdje0tk812E-RpBq98jQzk0u83pQvB7cJvGxgaPnT8wfMWHjTO7ylFQr4rbhCuzOG0_w9WICxP-ZZpfR_IGN_BcIkUiB8hrXr3uymf7Y6cHKLK0pv1pfU/s404/tattoo+Khadija+Anderson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRe1gOaK1cBmn05Xs-cm1tqdYdje0tk812E-RpBq98jQzk0u83pQvB7cJvGxgaPnT8wfMWHjTO7ylFQr4rbhCuzOG0_w9WICxP-ZZpfR_IGN_BcIkUiB8hrXr3uymf7Y6cHKLK0pv1pfU/s400/tattoo+Khadija+Anderson.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><br />Khadija tells us:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"My tattoo is Arabic calligraphy of a verse from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quran">Qur'an</a> (<a href="http://quran.com/9/40">9:40</a>), " laa ta'hazen fa innah Allaha maana". The translation is 'Don't give up hope, Allah is with us.' I chose this design because the calligraphy is gorgeous, I love the humanitarian message of the verse, and I like to show that I am a Muslim in a non-traditional way. A friend of mine, Russell Moore, did the tattoo in my living room in Los Angeles in 2008 shortly after I moved back to LA. It was the 5th of my 7 tattoos."</blockquote>It seems appropriate that Khadija sent us a poem, as well, that is related to her faith:<br /><br /><b>Today for Jury Duty I decide to wear the Hijab</b><br /><br />for the first time in 5 years<br />except to pray<br />I put it on and felt<br />a familiar feeling<br /><br />People stared<br />since white skin blue eyes<br />and black skinny jeans<br />are not what most people imagine<br />a good Muslim would have on<br />under a scarf<br /><br />One man stared furiously<br />I held my tongue<br />and smiled sweetly<br />like the good Muslim<br />that I am<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~ ~ ~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://khadijaanderson.com/">Khadija Anderson</a> returned in 2008 to her native Los Angeles after 18 years exile in Seattle. Khadija's poetry has been published in <a href="http://palehouse.com/about.html">Pale House</a>, <a href="http://unfetteredverse.blogspot.com/">Unfettered Verse</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpoets.org/">Washington Poets Association's</a> online <i>whispers & [Shouts]</i>, <a href="http://www.commonlinejournal.com/p/organization.html">CommonLine Project</a>, <a href="http://qarrtsiluni.com/">Qarrtsiluni</a>, <a href="http://www.guttereloquence.com/">Gutter Eloquence</a>, <a href="http://www.killpoet.com/ray/KillaP.swf">Killpoet</a>, <a href="http://www.wheelhousemagazine.com/home.html">wheelhouse 9</a>, and many other online and print journals. Khadija was a 2009 <a href="http://www.pushcartprize.com/">Pushcart Prize</a> Nominee and she holds an MFA in Creative Writing from <a href="http://www.antiochla.edu/">Antioch University Los Angeles</a>. Her first book of poetry, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098148364X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=098148364X&linkCode=as2&tag=bill03-20%22%3EHistory%20of%20Butoh%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=098148364X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">History of Butoh</a>, was published in 2012 by <a href="http://writlargepress.com/">Writ Large Press</a>. You can learn more about her at: <a href="http://khadijaanderson.com/">http://khadijaanderson.com</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Khadija Anderson for her contribution to the Tattooed Poets Project on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=098148364X" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2013 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Khadija Anderson

Our next tattooed poet, Khadija Anderson , expressed an interest in our Tattooed Poets Project last year, so we're happy we were able to...

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