This is heartrending. Not heartrending in truth but heartrending in story and in style. You penned genius and you really pulled me in. A painful piece to read and I can't bare to ask what inspired it.

This is such an intense and utterly incredible write. You reach into the heart of your reader and twist, hard. And I agree, I'm not sure exactly what you are referencing in this piece, but whatever the inspiration, it's terrifying and you penned that surreal emotion perfectly. Good write, I'm glad it was nominated.

xoxo Crystal

Ohh, Noura. This is.. I can't even form the words. Intense as another person wrote above me is a really perfect way to sum it up. I can't even imagine what you see and face and feel daily. This poem truly moved me.

On the poetic side it's just flat gorgeous poetry. Your repetition is beautiful, and the imagery is so striking. It's hard to go into it further, it's such a strong poem that makes you afraid to peel the pieces back. My word, woman.

I can't even imagine what it must be like to have to live in such a country that has this much violence. It's so devastating when innocent lives are taken. I feel your pain, I can see your heart bleeding through your words, I bet it is the most difficult thing to love your country when the violence is the reason for your father being taken from you. I wish I knew why people were so motivated to kill and cause such uproar. It makes no sense. Why do they have to be so selfless? I can't even fathom what it's like, seriously. You are quite the strong girl though to get through this everyday, live through seeing it all. I just wish you all over there could have some peace, you deserve it after all.

'every time I rummage my skin'
^One of my favorite lines, I loved the usage of rummage, it was great!

Your poem just gives me goosebumps. Seeing the bombing here in the US on the news and such this last week was so devastating and makes me sick every time to think why did such violence have to happen. Nothing makes sense.

Great write, so much emotion in your voice, words. Well done!

It's a very touching piece. There are flawless imagery like the ones about the national museum & dying in school uniforms.

It's a pleasure to be sharing the front page with you...like old times. Much deserved of you :)

You poured your entire self into this piece, and I felt the anger and the fear and the pain but I also felt the strength in you that I love.

This piece touched me, made me cry, gave me chills and just opened my eyes to so much, and that is what is so special about this poem...it is just amazingly penned x

So powerful. So much feeling. This is beauty.

Powerful and dynamic what a incredible read

Wow

Congratulations, Superlative Write Noura!!!

Judge comment:

Written in spring, where my area just got their summer start, I was intrigued by the title.. and then I delved into a poem of anguish, heartbreak and desperation. I can't help but just ache when I read this poem.. knowing that the pain is so real and so fresh like a brand new wound. I truly hope writing does help in even the slightest way possible. The pictures written here are hard to read, so I can't imagine witnessing them face to face every day. In the hurt and destruction Noura has written a brilliant poem, I just hate that such awful things had to happen to give this such inspiration here.

[Judging comment from week of 4/29/13]:

The emotion in this poem is so raw and absolutely tears my insides when I am reading... I too cannot imagine the violence in Syria now, or the wars and rebellions going on. I just hear about it on the news. But this is your homeland. You're seeing this. My heart aches at these lines and I like how you put your heart out there, almost trying to reassure that this country is the peaceful country it used to be:

"I try to unfold my love for this city,
to stretch my love along its alleys,
to hang my love, a lamp in its dark streets,
a patrol man comes hurrying to seize
me and my love and parade us
in the national museum."

The ending gave me chills, especially when you write with such rawness toward your father, missing and calling back those days where you had time. There was such a grey atmosphere too here, and I liked I could almost feel the rain falling down when you mentioned it throughout the poem. What a sorrowful poem and I can only pray the killings end and there is no "enemy".

Judging Comment:

What I have always admired about Noura, is her ability to capture her deepest sorrow and paint it with elegance within her poetry. In detail she allows the reader to gather in her reality, vision the devistation that is taking place and at the end wanting to embrace her every word.

This poem left me speechless. She has detailed words that I feel are markers for certain time frame events, just as April and August. Losing a loved one, in a war torn environment
is the vision that is so eloquently orchestrated in this piece.

Each stanza depicts the authors feelings to a tee, what she sees and to write this; talking to her father just breaks my heart.

Beautiful and captivating poem by this dear lady, I can't express anymore than that, brilliant piece of poetry!