Hidden dimensions
My first son Hassan
Was born on April the 9th
You might think
So what… why are you saying it
With such a gloomy tune
What is wrong with 9th of April?
You have to be a Palestinian
To understand
For on the 9th of April 1948
The massacre of Deir Yassin
Took place
Where every man women and child
Of that peaceful farming village
Was killed in cold blood
No one survived
Except those
Who pretended to be dead
As we celebrate the birth of a new born
With joy
We mourn and grief
Lost loved ones
In our midst
Nothing comes insular
Nothing is disjointed
No single colours
The fabric of our lives
Makes the most amazing tapestry
If you hold it backwards
Looking at the wrong side
You’ll see a mirror image
Of shades of a blurred picture
With loops… knots and fraying thread
If you turn it over
It looks much neater
But still you can’t actually see
The full picture
Only colours and shadows
But hey… take a little time
And walk backwards
Further back
Look at the tapestry
From a distance
You will be amazed
With its outstanding beauty
All these murky shades
That didn’t make sense to you
Even disturbed you
When you were near
From far
These dark shadows
Are precisely what makes this piece
So unique
So spectacular
These unfathomable hues
Is what give our life portrait
Its depth
And hidden dimensions
Since that day of 1948
Many… many babies were born
On April the 9th
Our joys are always stained
With hints of sorrow
Our sadness is always coloured
With hues of hope
Without which
The tapestry of our lives
Will never be complete
Won’t be as rich
Or as beautiful
Don’t waist much time
Staring at the wrong side with fury
Turn it over… walk further back… and feel the glory
01-04-2006
****************************************************
Bad things! Good things!
You should be more assertive
You should have more confidence
In your skills
And your strengths
People say
But I am truly aware
Of my abilities
I can surely judge
What I can or can’t do
I am also aware
Of my flaws
And believe you me
They are so… so many
But I am not ashamed
Of my weaknesses
Despite their vastness
They are there
For a reason
They keep me in my place
So I don’t grow bigger
Than my own shoes
I love my weaknesses
I love my defects
Thank you God
For all my imperfections
Thank you for my fears
For without them
I could live my entire days
Without ever appreciating
How safe my life is
Thank you for my worries
For without them I can never
Fully enjoy peace of mind
And tranquillity
Thank you for my pain
For without it
I can only imagine
What others go through
Thank you for my grief
For without it
I cannot sincerely feel
The heartache of others
How else can I ever
Learn genuine empathy?
30-03-2006
********************************************
Bliss and beyond
A state of delight
Blissful pleasure
Contentment
Tranquillity
Enchantment and joy
If people knew how it feels
They would’ve fought for it
With arms and teeth
No privilege
No adversity
No gain
No loss
No health
No pain
No achievement
No catastrophe
No triumph
No defeat
Can Annihilate
Or nullify
Passionately… with a heartfelt desire
I want to share
22-04-2006
**************************************************
Beyond
This love I have for you
Holds me, lifts me, carries me through
When all is dark
When pain is deep
When love is scarce
When friends are few
This love I have for you
Holds me, lifts me, carries me through
September-2005
********************************************
Is it really cruel?
People say
What happened to you
Is so cruel… so unfair
To have to lose khaled
In such an awful way
When you are so much in love
I say it is very painful
But not at all cruel
Death is nothing
But a gate way
Everything dies
Everyone dies
Why should I
Be the exception?
His journey ended before mine
That’s all
And soon I’ll follow
It’s only a matter of time
Before we are together again
We come to life
Only for a while
Also… the law goes
The higher you fly up
The greater is your fall
The law goes
The more intensely you enjoy your love
The more painful is your sorrow
This only fair
For some live and die
Without experiencing real love
And I’ve experienced all
It’s not cruel to give something back
And to feel more pain
Is not unfair
27-03-2006
****************************************************
With You I am OK
Dear Most Compassionate
Show me the truth
As true
And help me follow
Show me falsehood
As false
And help me avoid
Help me… say the truth
Help me… do the truth
Help me… think the truth
Help me… feel the truth
Dear Most Kind
I am lost
Without your guidance
Frail
Without your support
Miserable
Without your company
Dare I run away from You
Except towards You
Is there a place to hide from You
Except under your wings
The world has wronged me
Forsaken neglected and ignored
Held me responsible as the victim
Declared me guilty while innocent
Put me on trial although oppressed
Imprisoned me for being abused
An abandoned child
Blamed for… being…
But if You are pleased with me
I can take it all
Nothing else matters
13-05-2006
***********************************************
The rescue
Deep… deep inside…
In the land of sorrow… where I reside
Where only pain reigns
While… passion is resistance
Love grows rebellious
And hope is defiant
Grief runs deep
Cutting through hills and mountains
In the caves and underground
Far beyond my reach
It was raining agony… that day
Restless… agitated… weighed down
Haunted by my nightmare
You’re never coming home
Looking up… into sky
Yelling for help
While the soul murmurs
Here I am God… exhausted… give me your hand… come to my aid
Here I am God… full of sorrow… and anguish…ease my pain
Here I am God… hurt and tired… help me…hold me… heal me
Here I am God… lonely… be my friend and companion
Here I am God… lost… guide me… show me the way
And like a dazzling morning at the crack of dawn dispelling all darkness
Like gentle rain drops drizzling over a parched piece of land
Like a rainbow flowing piercing through thick murky clouds
Like sweet scent of love drifting capturing your heart
Like a velvet ruby rose blooming right before your eyes
Like a soft warm blanket in a cold winter night
Like a tender mother’s hand stroking her child
I felt
God’s loving-hand
Then…
Then this sweet… sweet comfort
Gently overwhelming
Lovingly embracing
Tenderly holding
Magically transforming
That distressed soul
And troubled heart
And in this land of sorrow
Suddenly
Pain is overthrown and Passion regains again
And sweet… sweet comfort falls down as rain
Calm descends
Serenity prevails
Tranquillity enfolds
Joy blooms
And sweet… sweet comfort falls down as rain
18- 09-2006
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Poetry for Palestine 