I have to research Arab women authors and do a presentation for my Arabic class. I chose to research the life and work of Suheir Hammad. She is of Palestinian descent and was raised in Brooklyn. Suheir is a political activist as well as a talented author. Her work is quite popular today. This poem is titled Jerusalem Sunday. Enjoy:)
Jeru
salem
sun
day
three muezzins call idan
where one's allah begins another's
akbar ends inviting the last
to witness mohammad's prophecies
church bells ring the sky
an ocean shade of blue above
christ's tomb and the stones
of this city witness man's weakness
boys run by the torah
strapped to their third eye
ready to rock their prayers
the roofs of this city busy as the streets
the gods of this city crowded and proud
two blind and graying
arab men lead each other through
the old city surer of step than sight
tourists pick olives from the cracks
in the faces of young and graying
women selling mint onions and this
year's oil slicking the ground
this city is wind
breathe it
sharp
this history is blood
swallow it
warm
this sunday is holy
be it
god
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3 comments:
good poem Ashanthi...Suheir is actually quite a poet, I met her last year when I invited her for our CJP event.
Hi Ashanthi!
I'm so glad you posted this. I love poetry. I am still trying to figure out all of the poem's meanings. I hope you will be able to shed some light!
That's a really beautiful poem. And by beautiful, I mean that when I read it line by line my heart caught in my chest at the end. THANKS! :)
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