An Elegy

by nouriguess   May 21, 2013


There's something about your air
that makes my soul cling to you,
like a migrating bird clinging to the last
day of summer.
I witness death covering our wounds with
silence, I watch you from a distance
freezing into a few lines on paper, into a
heap of borderlines and passports, and I watch us
burning into a throng of names and dates,
but I still cling to you.
I painted you yesterday, when guns calmed down.
I painted you in green and sky blue,
and if they stopped death for
another five minutes, I'd have drenched
your desert with more colours,
I'd have caged you behind my ribs,
liberating you through words.

We're so good at writing obituaries, aren't we?
We're so good at gambling and dying.

I read an ad glued on a wall the other day:
"Do it for your country! Join the army!"
and everywhere I go, there are people gossiping:
"1000 liras for whoever brings the
head of an officer. 2000 liras, if the head
is brought all the way from Aleppo".

Has everything
become costly here, except for
the life of a human being?

There's something about your streets
that makes my poetry hurry to you every morning
like a flock of birds hurrying to
the first day of spring.
They will hate, they will devour the moon
with a fork and a knife,
and if they come across a dream,
they'll prepare a grave for it,
but I still hurry to you.
Don't get lost.
The muddy camps will frown and
the big cities will smile but don't get lost.
Don't get lost, maybe we'll find jasmines
again under our pillows when we wake up.
The sun will wake up one day, too, tearing up
the sky, walking into this world, filling
the rooftops with its golden ashes. The smell of
incense will wake up, the pigeons of our
mosques will wake up.
They all will wake up
one day.

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Latest Comments

  • 11 years ago

    by Maple Tree

    Judge Comment:

    Noura, leaves me full of tears, yet again! This lady can write a sorrow filled poem, full of in depth world issues and leave the reader mind blown! I admire that in poetry and I admire this lady's courage and strength! Not to mention her ability to creatively design a true Work of art in the poetic form!

    I was blown away from the start with "air" being the essence of the person she writes for... that was creativity at it's finest. And the this line here took me to a depth of raw and realistic sorrow...

    "We're so good at writing obituaries, aren't we?
    We're so good at gambling and dying."

    The power of these lines can make a rock cry... All hearts and souls are affected by death and suffering, this poem was uniquely formatted in such a way, that I feel deserves to be highlighted.

    Touching piece from start to finish! Well done!!

  • 11 years ago

    by Poet on the Piano

    [Judging comment from week of 5/27/13]:

    The ache my heart experiences while reading this poem is nothing compared to the hurt you must be enduring. This write alone speaks of the courage you have in writing about the present times, even the bloodshed, and surviving what may have just been another killing...
    The rawness of this piece immediately grabs me, and the first stanza is gut-wrenching through the notion that this close person you have lost is still stuck in your life, everything you do, everywhere you look. As you said, you still cling to them, but you liberate him/her through words, exposing the truth and the sadness that people are so quick to accept deaths now.

    This part was so gently written: "I painted you yesterday, when guns calmed down. I painted you in green and sky blue, and if they stopped death for another five minutes, I'd have drench your desert with more colours,"

    - - - This is so profound! Not just the eloquence of this but the passion ignited. I feel you will run anywhere in the world just to be able to do this literally, as in your mind you have already attributed so many colours to this person.

    Your third stanza just hits me in the gut. It reminded me of studying world history, and the ads for the war saying, "it's your duty", etc....such an atmosphere of pride and nationalism. But you bring a point out further that death, to a specific side, is highly encouraged. That money too often pays the price for a person's life.

    The rest of your words just give me outright shivers. That anxiety, that need to shout it out, that rushed feeling to not be lost, and more importantly, that plea that people in this country will wake up and realize what they are doing.

    A powerful write, each verse had emotion flowing so freely and personally.

  • 11 years ago

    by L

    Judging Comment: Weekly Contest May 27, 2013

    I wish I had more words to say about this poem, other than it's moving. The emotion emerges in every word and I can feel the sadness in the words but also I can sense sarcasm as well as anger and disappointment and lastly my favorite hope. This poem is filled with so many emotions that I seriously didn't pay attention to the metaphors. The poem just took my attention. This line stood up the most for me "may be we'll find jasmines again under our pillows when we wake up" the jasmine may be symbolic but they also give a sense of hope. Though, I heard that Jasmine is the symbolic flower of Damascus. Also I wonder to whom is the author addressing as "you" as well as "they" in "they will hate you, they will devour the moon," found on the last stanza. The "you" seems to be a place "Damascus" perhaps? I can also link that with the part about there's something about your streets" and also with the Jasmines and with many others hints given out on the poem, but I can't still figure out who are the other they? Aside from that I like that emotion in this piece. It's not exactly a vent or if it is it's one of those that are well done.

  • 11 years ago

    by Britt

    Judge comment:

    Noura has a way of pouring out all of herself in a poem and making it work, no matter what... and it's so clear in this poem. Poetically appealing but also so emotionally charged that it's hard to turn away from. Taking the shocking real-life experiences and turning the pain into words like this is such a powerful and strong thing, and says so much about the poet and her character. I could keep going but my critique won't do this poem justice. It's beautiful.

  • 11 years ago

    by Boy

    Very sad poem. realy sad one... make me sad also... this is the beauty of writer that can make feel reader what he feel. i realy loved sad poems. but this is unique and different. i wwant to tell you my favorite lines are

    aybe we'll find jasmines
    again under our pillows when we wake up.
    The sun will wake up one day, too, tearing up
    the sky, walking into this world, filling
    the rooftops with its golden ashes. The smell of
    incense will wake up, the pigeons of our
    mosques will wake up.
    They all will wake up
    one day.

    very hopefully written this line. welldone

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