Hadraawi in poem & painting

Painting by Ahmed Yoses

A man of principles who

the sun, the moon, the rivers that flow,

the magical nature, the heartbeat, and loyalty

all bare witness to his words. Even

beauty in his presence testify to

feeling beautiful, and adjectives

are numb as new words ought to be invented

for this Somali Shakespearian, this artist with an

imagination above all the imagination. But

I was sure when I meet him, that I will recite

a line of his most famous poem.

Baladweyn, or maybe sing

Has love been blood-written

or read him, his wonderful storytelling about

lions, jackals and hyena

Or dissolve myself into ink, so I am

wrapped up into his writing, or turn into tree in his

name, or become his hat

keeping his winter hair warm or let his echo voice

speak for me, can he read the language behind my eye lids?

If anything I would adhere to hand shake etiquette

I couldn’t decide how to shake, firm shake or a quick grasp

or what is the culture take on legend embrace?

I did nothing

I said nothing

I swallowed my memorised script and a friend

with her courageous tongue said,

She is a fan of your, you know!

Breaking the silence

He listened to her as if listening can obey,

and spoke in a way that gave humbleness a new value,

and with tenderness behind his jasmine age,

with all the emblematical metaphor a man of his status can master,

he recited a prayer – I will wake up in the middle of the night, and

pray for you in a way I have never prayed before

I stayed there in that line until we exchanged amen and for once

I was in love with everything again

Sam Said

Copyright © 2013