The Nation of Poets: January 2013

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The rain supplication

The thunder opens the gates

and the drops riding the wind flow

creating a symphony on his window

Allhu Akbar ..... Allhu Akbar

the call for prayer mingles with the scene

blossoming the seeds of faith within the soul !

giving it a majestic flavor

a divine moment

sending the tears

as fiathful messenger

with the plea for forgiveness

and the merciful answer always arrives

giving him a second chance

as he bows for his creator !

the tale continues

repentance and remorse

raising the hands

till death do us part !

Ismail A. Ali

Poet of the week (POW): Hamza Egal

Would you please introduce yourself to the readers?

My name is Hamza Mohamed Osman Egal, I am 30 years of age and a father of three boys. I am a lawyer, policy developer and researcher by trade although now I am also aspiring to be a farmer. I was born in Medina the city of the prophet Mohamed pbuh. My family lived in the UK until 1996 when we moved to Kenya where my family of a few generations call home. It was this change of geography and life style that opened my eyes to a world I had not seen before.

When did you first start writing poetry and was there any particular incidents in your life that inspired you to write?

I cant recall when I started writing to be honest, but I do remember when my thoughts changed. I was 11 when my mother passed away, it was during this trying time that I started noticing more of the world around me and freeing my thoughts by putting them on paper. Inspiration can be found in very thing good or bad, it depends on your understanding of any given situation and really letting your thoughts compound your words.

What does "being creative" mean to you?

This is relative to every individual since Allah made us all unique, for me personally it means being able to articulate my thoughts without any duress or feeling the need to be politically correct in order to suit the world around me. It should be raw and honest derived from deep within ones consciousness.

What do you try to communicate with your poetry?

I believe we all have a responsibility in confronting the ills of our societies, education or in the case of my writings; information is key to every struggle. My actions and words will be my testimony in the hereafter therefore I try to enlighten in the best way possible of how we can be the people to bring about a better tomorrow. It was the prophet Mohamed PBHU who said if you come across and issue or an ill change it with your hands if you cant then it by your tongue and if you cant then change it by your heart.

what do you do when you go into a dry spell of some sort or how do you write another piece when you have been away from it for some time?

What dry spells??? I write poems on demand loool. To be honest everyone has dry spells I think mine come from work and family commitments that don’t allow my thoughts to wonder off completely.

Do you sit and think through every word of every stanza or do you just write freely and allow the words to flow?

I write freely but once I am done I tend to go over it again and amaze at how bad my spelling is or how confusing some of my notions would be to the reader, after all these are my thoughts. Who are some of your favorite poets?Would you be surprised if I told you I have never read more than a handful of poems. One of the reasons I don’t consider myself a poet is due to the fact that I read more books and journals then poetry.

What advice do you have for aspiring poets? Any word of advice for closet poets?

Be true to yourself, what your heart feels your mind deciphers. Remember to utilize your talents today or feel the erosion of time wither you away.

Anything else you would like to share?

We must remember where we come from; we are a people of beauty in every sense of the word. Let us give ease to our parents and wisdom to our children. Every man is chased by death so use your time and health before it takes your final breath.

A New Chapter

At long last the world has opened its doors to you once again

The road has been long and tough, even your dearest condemned you to the darkest depths of failure

We are your children and you have thought us that wounds heal no matter how deep

Broken dreams can be mended no matter how many times they have shattered

May yesterdays sorrow be a fast fading memory for todays rainbow awaits your radiant smile

THat smile that has kept the world amazed, the world envying the strenght and resilience of your people

Those who mocked you for decades with labels like "failed" surely knew that you would not be down for too long

While you lay injured and unloved they took turns to steal slices of your worth Your children too took their share

And far they did try and from you

But who were they fooling, without you they could not survive their guilt became like an uncut umbilical cord dragging them back to their birth

The new "homes" they made for themselves, decorated with fake smiles and borrowed "this is where we belongs" soon sang tunes to make them go home Now in their droves they return to you, repentant; having swallowed bitter pills of truth abroad

Many may return unrecognisable, with foreign tongues and frightening customs Nevertheless they are your children, returning home, heart worn on sleeve Ready to rebuild and never again leave your side

Qalbi nura Galaydh

Awaiting Execution

In honor of a man who taught me to forgive, let go and let God

Ghandi once said “An eye for an eye and the world is blind”,

Each day I'd wake up and hope the world would realize,

that this man that I've known since I was 9 years old,

is human and not dehumanized.

He took a life. A life that wasn't his to take,

it's an understatement to call it a mistake,

but in a world where temptation, lust and intoxication,

are acceptable, normalized and advertised,

not only my generation but the one's before me,

were led astray in just a blink of an eye.

In that fateful night of 1995,

this man who I have grown to love,

took a beautiful, young woman's life.

With a cocktail made of jealous rage, alcohol and crack cocaine,

he showed her no mercy, showed no restraint.

So who am I to love this man like an older brother?

I'm not that woman's mother who's got to live with this pain,

I'm not this man's family who has to live with the shame,

I'm not the murderer who is solely to blame.

But I'm also not the most gracious, the most merciful.

This man has been alive barely longer than he's been locked up and waiting to die.

I love this man because his heart is purer than mine,

I love this man because he is still crippled with remorse after all this time,

I love this man because his love runs deeper than the rest of mankind's,

I love this man because instead seeking tranquility he seeks humility,

I love this man because he found the strength to fight his demons,

I love this man because Religion made him a free man.

Most people don't understand my view on the death penalty,

having lost my own blood to murder recently,

as a Believer I value and honor repentance and sincerity,

as a medical student life's sanctity,

call my view controversial and senseless,

my choice to love this man naive and brainless,

in comparison I am just a nonentity,

and only God can judge me.

Arwa Abdulkadir Mohamud Yusuf

December 2012

{Group poem 26: New Beginnings} "Arise" Farah Gabdon

what if i told you

that every ending

is only ever the start of a new beginning?

and every new beginning

an opportunity to see things

from a new perspective-

what if i said

that every perspective is relative?

and every relative an individual-

that every individual has a heart

and every heart is afraid?

what if i told you that fear

is an illusion?

and every illusion

is shattered in the light?

what if i said that the light

we're all looking for

isn't as bright as we'd like?

what if i said its hidden in the darkness?

what if what we'd like

isn't always what we need?

and what if what we needed

was to fall,what if every fall

was only ever meant

to teach us how to rise?

and what if i told you

everything was written,

every sun set and rise?

what if i told you even the sun fell?

and the moon?

and what if i said look,

just look,

look at the moon,

la luna never fails to rise,

however often she falls,

arise,

this is your time now,

arise.

Farah Gabdon

{Group poem 26: New Beginnings} Idil

I've let the past steal

the present away from me

I had to let go

to forgive so I could breath

to cry out so the pain would relief

and to think blood was thicker then water

was I truly revealed to see that nothing was real

and everything that I knew was true and beautiful

was under the desert sands of Arabia

buried away

and those tears forever stayed

with every prayer I hope time would heal

mend what ever was broken

to erase the torture of the unseen

and to know as much as I am really alone

to say it out loud Oh how the truth just kills

I'll take this journey with Al muqeet

Because Allaah is my family.

Idil Ahmed Mahamed

The clock is ticking

Buzzing around

Secrets !

Good and bad

Deeds!

Good and bad

Shrugging their shoulders

Removing the dust on their jackets

Forming a parade to welcome him

To the final destination

His eyes are restless, wondering around

In that dark new place !

The voice is crippled within the throat

No more goodbyes !

No more second chances !

No pleas will rise from the ashes

Only the old snoopy forgetfulness is listening to ur silence !

While he Collects the remnant of grief , Pain and tears

as your loved ones walk away

At that moment u realize u r alone

The breaths become heavy

And the hard questions storm

A long life condensed in seconds

At that moment

U wake up sweating

On u r heart beats screaming

U have a second chance

It is just a dream

Next to u the clock is ticking

Tik tock

It is matter of time !

Ismail A. Ali

I unswear words

I looked at the troubled child,

his brown eyes, thin skin

and fragile body

made me shiver, and I was enslaved

by my desire to take him by the chest

and show him a world he never sensed

I felt his deep breath, his cold touch

while his speech was out of comparison,

he said, “dear lady, this worldly world

remind me of the clear sunset, it darkens

the mind of men, and when the sun rises,

they forget”

the warmth from his words, made me numb

he continued “Gods promises never die. I await

a life which never meets death”

I unswear my words, take me by your side

O’ troubled child, show me your riches

Amina Cilmi Shabeel

A Hundred Dreams

They told me I'd have a hundred dreams and ninety nine would fade away.

That life is not what it seems and what is sure came yesterday

Tomorrow brings doubt and altogether the skies are grey.

So search for that silver lining that might give a shining ray

Lighting up your final dream showing you that it's here to stay

So I suggest you pray, for better days, may it come.

They told me Hope is enough for a young man to get by

And what is good in this world comes to those who try

A smile can only come after the tears have dried.

And even the earth finds happiness after the heavens cry.

So when in strife understand that tranquillity shall follow

True happiness is a gift and sadness is borrowed

Keenly await success and be grateful for the sorrow

For you will be richer for the journey come tomorrow.

They told me I’d have a hundred dreams and ninety nine would fade away

May this one dream comfort me in my moment of dismay

May I search for that silver lining that gives me a shining ray

Until I do I shall pray, for better days, may it come.

Mohamed Jamal Sirat

Lotus

When they stepped on my soil, I rose

When they sucked my leaves dry, I reached further

When they broke my stem, I looked up

When they said: “Sorry, your application is not going further”,

I always smiled to the skies.

When they said: “We have applicants of a higher calibre”,

I didn’t let my petals fall.

And if they did, I picked them up and fix myself.

I promised I would not stop searching-

Even though there would be sunflowers brighter than me;

Daises more innocent then me and clovers more lucky than me.

I would never stop my leaves from getting sunlight or my seeds from growing

I would never step back in the shade because I don’t belong there.

'I deserve to be photosynthesis like everyone else!'

So come rain or shine; I will blossom through all the seasons

Until I reap the rewards of my labour.

Abadir Hashi

Light at end of tunnel

They trying to blame everyone

Just to put the flame off

Corruption on the rise

As pockets get thicker

Bellies get thinner

People seem hopeless

Is this the government they ask?

Two faced politicians

The land of the people

But not the land for the people

When is Africa’s new day?

Innocence of the children

Dreams on their faces

Fading away in time

Feeding you with one hand

Taking it with the other

And just like that am an activist

Not communist neither capitalist

But a voice among silenced community

We all looking for the immunity

It’s no where but within us

We just got to believe and achieve

Yaya Ahmed

Illusion

Tip top

She strides confidently

her eyes observing hungrily pride keeps her tall and stiff

because she is aware of her “ knowledgebility”but the reality of this world

shows itself in one or the other

and her steps falter

when a cloaked man steps in on her path of “invincibility”

“I know of you” she calls out arrogantly “you go by many names, oh bringer of misery”

the man in the dark cloak

stiffens and looks at her and whispers coldly “how arrogant how sad...

and such a claim that you bear! To say that “you

”Comprehend me … “

A stiff smile curls her mouth In an attempt

To cover up her hesitancy

“What a simpleton “She cries out loudly "To question my intellectuality"

The cloaked man loughs coldly

As if being used to such heroic claims.

“Arrogance is something you human richly posses “ he remarks smoothly

“Come and I will show you the truth that your heart has been denied."

Without waiting for a response he grabs her roughly

and declares boomingly “you shall sit here in trepedition while the truth is revealed piece by piece

And it will shatter you.

It will.

A fiery instinct of protectiveness drove her to screech and struggle

Because the truth that he was speaking of

Was now something that she would rather avoid

The truth represented ice.

A glazier in the cold night It was hard and cold to touch but it was clear and sharp to the eye.

And true to its meaning It shattered her reality And showed her the starkness

Of things she tried so hard to bury.

“this is not real” she wanted to say

but the truth was cold and it was clear for the watcher.

Piece by piece, layer by layer, the truth was revealed And it strangled deep

Choking and nauseated

Her mind reeled hard

from the magnitude of not comprehending the truth

“What say you ? “ the cloaked man asked quietly

Sniffling, broken and her eyes full of tears

she looked at the face

that she couldn’t see

and she quietly replied

“I don’t comprehend you”

the answer was the first truth to be uttered

andit was broken

just as its sayer.

Hamdi A M Hagi

The One

I asked him what he wanted He replied "you".

Going into descriptions of features he loved, as if he had a guarantee that they would forever bea

nd that somehow that would be enough to build a home

But he did not know me, for he was blind to the soul of the body he desired

He was not interested in what this mind had to offer nor I in what his mouth had to offer

So I proceeded to draw him a mental picture of my heart's loveAnd I said

My better half would have a deep rooted love for his heritage intertwined with devotion to The Lord

He would be Dressed in humble mannerisms yet exude knowledge and wisdom

He would find good in people when others see empty shells

Bring comfort to loved ones far and near

Provide a reason for me to seek beyond what I see

He would be a proud and dutiful son capable of pouring purity into his child

A man worthy of being the "man of the house"

So as I concluded he thought that I was deluded to expect so much in a man

I had to let him know that I could never love a lesser man

Asha Ali

October Tears

would I be lying if I said,

it made me stronger

when I was confronted with my fears

should of known October was to come

October Tears

the days I lost my soul

but that was last year

so its again funny

how history repeats its self

or I'm I sure its been

following me through here

hurting me day by day

Ibliss I know you love these tears

I keep crying to my self

oh how you whisper to my ears

I don't want to lose myself

hate how it feels

I cry to my Lord

Mix state of mind

there's no life to my eyes

hate this life

sharp shinny things

used to appeal

before they used to heal

but I know it was stupid

October Tears

surly October thirteen

should be different

feeling a little different

ready to get rid of this chronic pain

I know its choking me once again

when I let the tears flow

I just wish I could talk to someone

but it hurts so much

that you seem to come to

me as your dearly companion

and I just want you

to leave me alone

making supplication

was the way to go

now you don't exist

once again like a ghost

October Tears

I was confronted with so many fears

I think I'm stronger.

Idil Ahmed Mahamed

Poem like a Kiss

I want to write a poem like a kiss:

Soft.

Engulfing.

Passionate.

All consuming.

Clarifying.

Nonsensical.

Honest.

Beautiful.

Naima Mohamed

The beauty of Hijabs

How can I cover the beauty of a hijab in a poem

when the duty of a hijab is to cover the beauty of Allah’s creation

But there is just something beautiful about a Hijab I can’t wrap my head around.

So this goes out to the sisters and mothers who wear hijab’s like soldiers wear helmets, because they know the fight for perfection inthe eyes of Allah is never ending battle.

In my eyes, you are the super heroes who venture into the world against all adversity protecting beauty in the name of Islam

May Allah increase your iman and provide you with a home in Jannah Amiin

I’m sure at times it can be tough to live in a society where beauty is associated with the freedom to wear what one chooses but when one chooses a hijab it is deemed oppression

I am starting to realize there is beauty

in secrets and we despised those who can keep it

If you ever need a reminder

look up and know that the Earth wears

the atmosphere like a hijab

Protecting its beauty from

the rest of the universe

and that the beauty of a sister in a hijabis far greater

than any commodity

found on, or in its soil

It is a proven factthat he most beautiful

and revered treasuresin the world are protected by layers

Some may argue thathijabs are the definition of oppression

but their visions containfilters that deny witnessing that

hijabs actually compliment beauty

They say You are a diamond why pressure yourself?

remind them,because they have forgotten

diamonds are formed underground under immense pressure.

They tell you that you are gold but follow it with what is gold concealed by cloth?

Flawed, they have forgotten where gold comes from,deep in the bottom of earth and rich like a sisters commitment.

You are ambassadors of Islam proudly wear your hijabs like a crownand only those privileged enough can seethe strength of your will and dedication etched into its fabric

Let none enter your temples who have not first entered your heart

Lastly,If you are ever confronted by those who judge

and confuse security with servitude and oppression

tell them kindly conformity isn’t an optionhijab are

the definition of beauty and freedom is the opportunity to wear one.

Ahmed Knowmadic