Dear Mr. President OBAMA

Editor's note: This is definitely a beautiful poem that captures Africa in such an intimate way...It's almost like being there, witnessing the dreams and hopes that Africans hold in their heart...The dream and possibilities that a Black man holds the highest position in the United States should not be mistaken for an absolutely abolish of racism in this society or any other. Would Obama truly be any different from his precedent, would he be able to delivery on half the things he said? Would the beauty in is words be contagious enough to paint the lives of the less fortunate beautiful? Only time shall tell..

I’ve been to a land
Where the culture is in abundance
And drips
As vast as sweat
The day stretches
Hours as many
As Matatu’s (Local buses)
Lining the streets
Where the roads crumble
As often as people’s dreams
Yet they never stop dreaming
A land
Where the lush beauty isn't just found
On the beaches of Malindi
Or in the private resorts of Mombasa
But on the faces of ordinary people
Woman, man and child alike.
A land where a unloved dictator
Sits on a thrown
Unjustly
Elected for a second term undemocratically
And talented young boys like Johnny
From the Masai market
Liter ever street corner
With a renewed hope
And a simple dream because of you
So
Dear Mr. President OBAMA
I hope your not just bringing change to America
But to your beloved home in Africa as well.

Hayat Ali Aka
“Twisted Elegance
Copyright ©2009

Our Land

Editor's note: Soomaaliyeey toosoo. Toosoo isku tiirsade ee hadba kiina taagdaranee. Taageera waligiine!! It's a sad truth that so many of us have failed over and over again to comprehend the beauty and the strong urge of unity right in our national anthem! I haven't come across a national anthem that is so relavant to its people than ours. Somalia ha noolato.

Get up of your negativity minds people
Get up and stand up for your rights
Get up from these unrest and pandemonium

SOMALIA TOOSOO
SOMALIA TOOSOO

Wake up from your gruesome dreams
Wake up to a new tomorrow
Wake up to a changed world
Wake up and become


Why are we divided when we are ONE?
Why kill your own when you can live at peace?
Why embrace the colonial scramble for Africa division?
Ahmed Gurey, Hawo Tako, and SYL fought for your freedom. What you have to give back?

I say
Somali it shall be
Somali it shall be

My Land
Your Land
Our Land
Somalia Land
The peoples Land
No one owns it but the Qaleek el samaawat walard (ALLAH)
Somalia United under one flag and religion.
Join the Movement and Unite Somalia.

Suban Khalif

Copyright © 2008

Art work by Abdul Arts

Editor's note: If words can profoundly impact our ability to feel something, than its images that give us the clear ability to comprehend something without any fail. Abdul Arts is a young Somali student who lives in Egyptian and is very much an active part of the Somali community there. He is incredible talented as you can see.

Abdul Arts
Copyright ©2008

The Ennui Status Quo!!!

I Crave To Be Inspired
But The Lucifer Inside Of Me Is Raging Like Fire
I Wish To Have Cars,Women And Glamorous Attire
But Yet It Seems 2 me These Neccesaties Are Like ChildHood DayDreams
It Seems I Have Everything I Need
But Yet I Refuse 2 Redeem
Ah Alas Higher Seer..Why Havent Thee Given Me A Diffrent Life
Another Race,A Bright Future InCluding Perhaps A Loving Wife
I Am Typical And Gallivant
A GalliMaufry Of This And That

But Like Obama's Campaign
I feel Change IS Coming
And Less Challenges Ahead Minus The Champagne
I Hear The Silent Gale Of Judgement Day Humming And Drumming Hardly In My Ear
Love Has Not Been kind 2 Me
But Something I Now Fear
It Seems 2 Me Nowadays Every Girl Looks Like A Gorgon
These Women Are All Guile
I Ignore Them And Classify Them Into CaseFiles.
Happily,I Concede Without Them That My Heart Flows Like The Nile.


This Is My Exposition
I Call It The Sadism Status Quo
Many Will DisAgree , Compliment. But I Assure You
This Theory Is Complied
Its A Demist And Cold Fragile World
But I Hope My Country Folks WIll Take Note And Let Their INNER lOVE uNFURL
tHIS Status Quo Was Written In A Day Of Ennui
Good Bye My Dear Friends And We'll Hopefull See Other Soon Surely.

Hyder Noor.
Copyright ©2008

Start Investing In luxurious Real Estate!

Editor's note: We hope this serves as a reminder for our youth out there. Somalia-The nation of poets blog and facebook fanpage is here as to share with the world our culture, traditions and values. And most of all the most important element of the Somali culture-our deen. That is why Somalia-TNP more than often encourages and seeks to find literary work that serve as a reminder for us.

Looking to Invest in luxurious Real Estate?

-that is easy to acquire and less time and energy consuming
-which comes at no cost of buying, selling or maintaining
-risk proof and all yours forever
-debt and stress free
- riba (interest) free
-etc

With the short tips below you could be on your way to investing in:
-Mansions built of gold and precious stones.
-With lofty rooms; one above another
-With such magnificent views
- And mansions exquisitely decorated and maintained for you
-Mansions under which rivers flow
-With gardens of eternity containing all kinds of trees, fruits and delight
-In them springs/fountains gushing
-And of beauty beyond your wildest imagination....

How to invest??
1- Two rakahs before the Fajr Prayer,

2- Four rakahs before and two after the Dhuhr prayer,

3- Two after the Maghrib Prayer, and

4- Two after the Isha Prayer.

The mother of the believers, Umm Habibah Ramilah bint Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that she heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: “A house will be built in Paradise for every Muslim who offers twelve units of Prayers other than the obligatory ones in day and night, to seek pleasure of Allah. (Reported by Muslim)

Every day you could be expanding your real estate portfolio in the Herreafter just by performing these additional prayers... everyday. Will you then take advantage? We spend a lifetime investing and saving for just one property to live in this dunya. You could be spending just a few minutes of your time to increase your hasanat and property in the Hereafter. You dont want to find empty land when you get there inshaAllah so brothers and sisters lets take advantage of this and start praying the sunnah of our beloved prophet (saw). Start little by little and with practice it becomes easy.

Bonuses:
1) Sunnah Prayers compensate and make up for any shortcoming or incompleteness in the obligatory Prayers: “The first thing that a slave will be taken to account for on the day of Judgment will be his prayer. If it is complete, he will have been victorious and successful. If it is lacking, he will have failed and lost. And if something is missing from his obligatory Salah, Allah will say: “Look and say if My slave has voluntary prayers. And his obligatory prayers that are lacking or incomplete will be completed by these.” [Tirmidhi]
2) The Prophet (saw) said, "The two Rak’ah before the dawn (Fajr) prayer are better than this world and all it contains.'' [Muslim]
3) The Prophet (saw) said: “Whoever, observes the practice of offering four rak’ahs before Duhr prayer and four rak’ahs after it. Allah will shield him against the fire of hell.” [Abu Daud and Tirmidhi]
4) It is stated in a hadith that whenever a Muslim prostrates to Allah, He will elevate him one degree and forgive him one bad deed.” [Tirmidhi]
5) Sunnah Prayers bring more reward to Allah’s servant, as increasing voluntary Prayers is the best of supererogatory acts after Jihad in the Cause of Allah.
6) Sunnah Prayers increase the light of Iman (faith) in the heart, as each Prayer brings light to the heart of Muslim.

Abdullah Jama

Copyright ©2009

http://www.somalidiasporayouth.com/

The Last Day

Editor's note: InshAllah, we hope this poem will serve as a reminder to all Muslims about the hereafter. It was narrated that prophet Muhammad SCW said "“Live in this world as a traveler or a stranger." Lets keep our hearts and minds conscious of the creator of heavens and earth. Lets hope and pray that Allah swt will keep us and continue to guide us on the right path, and keep us among those whom he is pleased with. Lets hope and pray that Islam continues to be our life and not just A PART of our life.

Brothers &Sisters, Through the journey of life how many times have we been
Warned and lectured about death and its punishment in the grave?
How many times, did we stand still and actually imagined how our day will be,
Because believe it or not WILL come, it WILL come!

Brothers & Sisters, Please Take the time with me
To imagine how that day will be

Where we would be and how our situation would be
Would we be one of those, whose reward will be Jannah
Or will we be those who refused Allah’s words and religion
Those who will end up in Jahanam

Why do we close our ears, when it comes to hadith and lectures that inform us of
death- and its punishments.
Because walahi brothers & sisters EVERY SOUL SHALL TASTE IT.
So it’s best that we shall prepare for it.
Imagine The Day you will die, and your soul will be gone,
Only your body will be left.
Imagine the time; you are being carried to your grave,
Which words will we scream and which people will be there to save?
Imagine the time; you are being put down in your FUTURE HOME,
And nobody will stay no mother, brother, sister no father because you will be all alone

Imagine the time two angels will come before you and ask you questions
What will you say?,

Imagine what you have worked for and which of it will come with you to your grave
Will it be the latest sport car you bought? The fantastic make-up kit?, your favorite skinny jeans?
NO brothers and sisters those are indeed dunya equipments and those will stay in this dunya
What will go with you is you’re DEEDS that you have collected in your life time
So many chances you've had to change and now those chances have run out.
Don't wait until that day to regret everything.

Wake up, and let this be your wakeup call
Because brothers and sisters some of us aren’t going to make it, and they will fall
Don’t let that be you. And make a change for yourself
GO back to Allah, ask forgiveness and pray
Remember, always remember THAT DAY!

Fardowsa Cadawe

Copyright ©2009

Editor's note: This poem was written in response to a documentary which highlighted the agony, hardship and plight of our brothers and sisters in Ogaden. The name of the documentary is Silent Cry, and is set to release in Europe. I wonder, isn't the hardship and plight of children so evident, so obvious!?! Yet, it falls on deaf ears and hearts that do not cry. The Ethiopian government do not care about the malnourishment that is happening to our Ethiopian brothers and sisters, and they obviously do not care about people in Ogaden region. It is reported Ogaden was the most to suffer on the 2000 drought, however this fell on deaf ears of the world. Ya Allah help the Muslims and non-Muslim, Somalis and non-Somalis who are subjected to horrible way of living!

A life of strife is all I’ve ever known
A bit of freedom I would like to own
O world don’t you hear my cries
Can you not see the pain in my eyes?
Do you not know about the troubles of this land?
Let me tell you about this land called the Ogaden although the truth they tried to ban
I was barely ten years old when my father was slaughtered before my very eyes
My mom and sisters raped that same night but nobody heard their cries
My sister took her own life she couldn’t bear the burden of having that soldiers child
They took away what little livestock we had left us for dead in the wild
We walked for days to find life, ended up in a refugee camp all dazed
Thought we had escape from hell but the people we met similar stories to us they tell
Houses burned to the ground, children and animals herded together and set alight
I only dream of going to school, it will not be a reality until we see an end to this struggle and fight
I call upon every person with a heart to feel our pain although we’re many miles apart
Children dying of starvation and the earth dying from deprivation
You see blood waters this land and the rain never seems to fall
Oh son of Adam will you heed my call.
Asha Ahmed
Copyright ©2009

Voice of The Orphan

Photo Credit: Google

This poem is accompanied by an article, please view it at http://www.hiiraan.com/op2/2009/jun/voice_of_the_orphan.aspx.

Warlord please
Please listen to me
I plead with you, warlord
Please stop the war
Warlord please
You have waged a war
You have changed colours
You took up the gun hard-heartedly
You have become a tribal warlord
Then you have grown a big beard
You converted into an insurgent
Coming out in your true colors
As a warlord in islamic shape
A blood-thirsty murderer
A ruthless war profiteer
Warlord please
You have fired rockets
You destroyed houses
One of them was ours
You have killed my father
You made me an orphan

Warlord please Now it is time for peace
Time to sit and talk
Time for dialogue
Time for reconciliation
Time to look at me
Time to take care of me
As otherwise, warlord I shall grow up in the streets And become a warlord like you
With no hope to build a nation
But always hoping To kill the hope of children
To create a nation of orphans Or at best to be a suicide bomber
A raw material for the terror factory
A fuel for the disastrous horror machine
Thereby continuing the cycle of war
Warlord please For the sake of the orphan
Would you stop the war
Or you have no heart For anything more than a war
One more appeal, warlord Since you defy Allah’s word Since you respect no life
Let me say you a final word *
For the sake of First July
Would you take a break
Would you stop shooting
Just for the day, warlord Just a time out of your war game
To let one child survive one more day
To let a parent live one more day
To call 1st July as no orphan day
Would you do that please?
Or in one hand you make a speech And fire a mortar bomb on the other.

Abdinoor Mohamed
Copyright ©2009

Somalia is my LAND

Editor's note: Without doubt, North Somalia deserves to be praised for achieving stability in that region. No person from Somalia (be it east, west, north or south) should have anything negative to say to that. However, the division and the call for two state solution is unnecessary and in my humble opinion wrong. Somaliland is the land of Somalis and we should all be united and work towards building a better Somalia, a better government, a better place for our elders to live and our young to succeed. A place we can all call our land. Rather than working for the betterment of MY qabil and YOUR qabil! Somalia is my land and I'm proud of it.

My country is a scattered vicinity. Its state of mind, speaking on its behalf, is not at peace. In the continuance of my mental journey, through the essence of essence itself, I’ve been blasted with a muskets bullet. I’m having trouble depicting the beauty of my land, because my land has been disjointed into several different sectors, and I’ve fallen astray of Somalia’s actuality. My mind is roaming the blank pictures, and it’s flipping through the slides of nothingness; my country is solely losing its stamina. I need you. I need you like my soul needs its physicality, like the depth of my longing needs it’s needs, like my prodigy-like brain needs it’s structure. I need you. The white man asked me my ethnicity, and without hesitation, my lips created a hollow frame, and my tongue assisted my words and I immediately said, “Somalia”. Right after his final words, after completing my sentence, I lost it. The mind-boggling words, the erratic things he said, I couldn’t believe it. I asked myself if the beauty of my land has lost it’s meaning, or if I was just in a state of abnormality. I smiled while re-winding myself back to his question. I smiled because I know there’s only one beautiful place which I belong to, and I smiled because Somalia is MY LAND . The question. It’s replaying itself over, and over, and over again. He asked me if I was from Somalia or Somaliland. Is this what the world has come to? Has this absurd controversy come so far, that even the outsiders no longer know what to believe in? And that’s when I smiled merrily and said “Somalia is MY land”.

Ifrah Hussein
Copyright ©2009

Sorrow War

Editor's note: The significance of July 1st cannot be denied in the Somali history, however, celebrating this day is morally wrong to many people!How can your conscience let you celebrate when your brothers and sisters in Somalia are suffering, dying, being killed, tortured!? This poem is about the days most of us remember with bitter sweet memories! We escaped the war, our lives are saved, we made it to North America or Europe. However, there were many lives that were lost! This poem is about escaping the war!

Sorrow war of my mother land
Hurry now we have to pack now
A row of strong men taking a step
I feel in my heart I’ll never see this town again.

Small children grip on to their mothers Dirac
A long trip to never-land, my mother whispers to
My ear “out there our dreams would reappear”.

Many tears take away the peoples thirst
But keeping their faith close to Allah
Repeating every verse of the Quran.
Inshallah Allah make my father come home safely Amiin.

The flag I carry is the colour of the sky blue sky
But today is dark and cloudy if hell were imagining this would be it.
As if now my country would to disappear
What are these false groups false hope?
More like false lies false words; I won’t trust a human anymore.

We were something before I don’t think a Somali should utter a word at all
Blaming what young youth has become isn’t our fault the west has changed so much.
It’s a shame it hasn’t come to what has planed, our culture our language is dying.
The love of our people that was once there is dying.

Stupidity of the men of our country has no care in heart when will they ever stop.
It sickens me how power can make the person as the devil.
And how I ever wonder how they sleep at night and every death they’ve ate the flash.
May it rain blood make them know that the cruse has began.

But clan system is sure has been a waste and nothing would ever be the same.
Regions of horn of Africa are now broken up to many different puzzles.
It can’t be mended it can’t be pushed to be glued together.
But I don’t want to cry the pain that I remember of my country is nothing

Trying to fold the memory that’s cold.
Remembering my mother whisper in my ear “out there our dreams would reappear”
Standing in London city where the lights are bright I sigh deeply and feel that how come my dreams have disappeared.

Idil Ahmed Mahamed
Copyright ©2009