The sun here burns without speaking.
In *Sta. Magdalena, even the wind gossips,
even the silence sits beside you
and calls you **"padaba."
But Riyadh?
Riyadh listens too much.
And when I speak,
my voice comes out wrapped in plastic.
I eat beside men with vanished names,
we all have families blurred behind remittance,
eyes trained not to blink at machines,
hearts trained not to shatter
at the sound of our children
saying “Papa” from a screen.
I have made peace with white tiles,
hallways scrubbed of joy.
The mosque’s call is the only breath
that cuts through this mechanical sleep.
I do not pray—
I bargain with God.
One more year, I say.
One more ***bago umuwi.
And in my bed,
I curl around the ghost of my own dialect.
I am learning to cry
without leaving a trace
on my pillow.
*Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon, Philippines
**beloved
***before home, finally.
Mohamed and Khaled
The best butcher shop in town
In the deception of silence
they butcher those with sound
Voices against their Kingdom
they fear and do not like
Raping their women with modern views
while butchering a protesting man
Both Prince, King and pork herder
Vehement denials throughout the land
Yes the color of red, proof of blood in their sand
In the shoes of Aysha, these cowards cant even stand
Intoxicated Salman, butchered an innocent man
as Trump applauds, the free press in a grave
situation... Tyrants kissing and holding hands
A thousand lashes, to the butchers of Riyadh
Prince Mohamed be damned
The Admiral’s Sun 5th draft – 6-11-2014
A pedestal for your glory and the ego’s your command,
your shadow darkens the people you demand.
Your rusting medals are demanding a respect,
beyond the value of those you do neglect.
The world is learning to shun this bloody valor,
well past due for society’s defining hour.
Beyond your limitations you dared not tread,
your father’s path repeated with dread.
Higher thinking would have polished your crown,
surpassing the gleam that soon finds the ground
Senility and death are your only companions now,
emptiness your spouse and still she does frown.
Michael G. Eggert, March-April, 2014, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The world after thousand dawns
(To an Isis fighter )
A poem by :Ali Riyadh (Iraqi Poet)
Translated by: Laith Seher
O who woke up after thousand dawn ago,
The dawns burned ,the ashes became a night .
Stand up ,close your eyes .
Seek the newborn baby at this new dawn
behind his eyelids, there lies light
Touch him , your fingers get anesthesia.
He warms your frozen blood .
Open your eyes , gaze at him ,
You will see how the world becomes colourful after thousand dawn ago without you .
Nineteen months has passed since I did a step..
A step to attain one of my dreams..
Rumored as the land of "Just dime or penny"..
Talked as a land of so much strict Rules..
Rials their stable currency.
Oil their main product..
Towering modern ediffices abounds..
Architecturally design interiors..
Rich truly, as they said..
Islam the strictly followed religion..
Arabic their national language..
Riyadh, Jeddah, Maddina some of it's mainland..
Black and white the common colors of apparels..
Yet, roaming around malls..
Variant vibrant colors visibly in stalls..
Simplicity, that's what I appreciated here..
It was a barren solid land..
Almost all nationalities are here..
Finding a life; Making livelihood..
Maximizing what this country can offer...
Yet it's rules, the prohibitions..
Depresses the other life of man...
It takes away some of the joys of living..
Thus others, breaks the rules...
" incest meetings" are such as searching gold..
precious as undiscovered diamonds..
friends makes the stay here worthwhile..
Adopting and preserving the heart of humanity..
by: olive_eloi
02/10/2013
9:44pm
------------
RIYADH: HAVEN OF LIFE
R - Riyadh, a city and capital of Saudi Arabia
R - "Raining Men" as lots of scattered everywhere..
R - Raging from other Arabs to Caucasians
R - Real masculine, maybe yes and maybe no..
I - I'm here about a year & 6 months
I - Interesting at first as all is new
I - In few months, I began to think twice
I - Inwardly, I feel imprisoned and treated inhumanely..
Y - Yielding me a greater awareness of life .
Y - Yes, it was my ambition to go out..
Y - Yondering all obstacles and trials...
Y - Yelping nothing but full determination.
A - Admitting,I did get what i like from here
A - Accounting from the fact that saving here good.
A - Allegiance to my family as well as my country calls me back..
A - Admirably, some nationalities prefers us..
D - determinedly, I suppose not to give up..
D - Death could only stop me from life..
D - Diligently, I'll walk each day with faith and hope..
D - Dainty, i must still appear to be..
H - However things are.
H - Hope rise up burning afire..
H - Hunterlike aggressive and brave
H - Honesty deep down in contentment.
by: olive_eloi
aug. 22, 2013
@2:30pm
I have waited for the cars to part like the way Moses did
I am no Moses.
I am just a sloth waiting for a moment to cross the street.
I was the first who stood and waited
On my both sides came two figures who arrived in silence
We were the last ones who stood and waited.
I realized
No one among us can play the part of Moses
We just exchanged glances and could not see each other's irises
As the sandstorm from the morning still obscures Riyadh.
I am going to a temporary home for the night
Where could they reside tonight?
Will little angel's wait on the doorstep to meet and kiss them?
(It's dinner time already, my seat at home is already occupied)
Nobody is waiting for me.
Then the road cleared
And the three of us, souls being friends for just a while
Just moved on.
(We are raindrops falling side by side from the clouds)
Breaking our infinitesimal mass,
as we reach the pavement.
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