Born in 1969, Iraq. graduated from college of science, University of Bagdad. a translator (simultaneous and consecutive), media person and poet. selected as executive manager for Alnoor Foundation for Culture and Media, coordinating many local and international events, supported by Goethe Institute she released the anthology of Eyes of Inana (women writers in Iraq) , many poems are published in local magazines and cultural pages including translated ones to English and german. recently dedicating efforts to spot the light on Iraqi young poets for a future project.
last wish of the prey
How exciting you are!
Like a bundle of light that has just discovered a keyhole
Keep sneaking…
Coating your words with delight
Thrusting them into my waiting ears
You see, It is quite dark in here,
In this ancient head of mine!
What kind of a wisdom would anyone expect from blind owls?
from this forest
where they threaten my face with fire
should I seek for truth
for any glimpse of light
Oh light…
Oh lust…
Enter my head, in peace.
TRANSLATED FROM ORIGINAL ARABIC: AMAL IBRAHIM
KINDLY REVISED BY THE POET: GEORGE SZIRTES
beginnings
Beginnings...awaken childhood in me
Circles... awaken curves
the sweep of a waist
the bow of gratitude
the bent back of grief
Peace...produces a pale olive bough
so bitter is peace
Beginnings make me desperate for endings
Promises rouse me to silly patience
silly as a yellow balloon gliding carelessly across a minefield
Open spaces... inspire an open mind
how lovely you were, dear friend, before this journey
the lines of your hand have grown too clear
Perfume...inspires me to hunger
My fingers....to a strange compass
that points to the birds that broke through my ribs
just to land near you
since you are the only one who
inspires me to beginnings...
POEM AND TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL ARABIC: AMAL IBRAHIM
KINDLY REVISED BY: GEORGE SZIRTES
Circles... awaken curves
the sweep of a waist
the bow of gratitude
the bent back of grief
Peace...produces a pale olive bough
so bitter is peace
Beginnings make me desperate for endings
Promises rouse me to silly patience
silly as a yellow balloon gliding carelessly across a minefield
Open spaces... inspire an open mind
how lovely you were, dear friend, before this journey
the lines of your hand have grown too clear
Perfume...inspires me to hunger
My fingers....to a strange compass
that points to the birds that broke through my ribs
just to land near you
since you are the only one who
inspires me to beginnings...
POEM AND TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL ARABIC: AMAL IBRAHIM
KINDLY REVISED BY: GEORGE SZIRTES
Beginnings...awakens childhood in me
Circles... awaken curves
the sweep of a waist
the bow of gratitude
the bent back of grief
Peace...produces a pale olive bough
so bitter is peace
Beginnings make me desperate for endings
Promises rouse me to silly patience
silly as a yellow balloon gliding carelessly across a minefield
Open spaces... inspire an open mind
how lovely you were, dear friend, before this journey
the lines of your hand have grown too clear
Perfume...inspires me to hunger
My fingers....to a strange compass
that points to the birds that broke through my ribs
just to land near you
since you are the only one who
inspires me to beginnings...
POEM AND TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL ARABIC: AMAL IBRAHIM
REVISED SO KINDLY BY: GEORGE SZIRTES
Circles... awaken curves
the sweep of a waist
the bow of gratitude
the bent back of grief
Peace...produces a pale olive bough
so bitter is peace
Beginnings make me desperate for endings
Promises rouse me to silly patience
silly as a yellow balloon gliding carelessly across a minefield
Open spaces... inspire an open mind
how lovely you were, dear friend, before this journey
the lines of your hand have grown too clear
Perfume...inspires me to hunger
My fingers....to a strange compass
that points to the birds that broke through my ribs
just to land near you
since you are the only one who
inspires me to beginnings...
POEM AND TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL ARABIC: AMAL IBRAHIM
REVISED SO KINDLY BY: GEORGE SZIRTES
Beginnings...awakens childhood in me
Circles... awaken curves
the sweep of a waist
the bow of gratitude
the bent back of grief
Peace...produces a pale olive bough
so bitter is peace
Beginnings make me desperate for endings
Promises rouse me to silly patience
silly as a yellow balloon gliding carelessly across a minefield
Open spaces... inspire an open mind
how lovely you were, dear friend, before this journey
the lines of your hand have grown too clear
Perfume...inspires me to hunger
My fingers....to a strange compass
that points to the birds that broke through my ribs
just to land near you
since you are the only one who
inspires me to beginnings...
POEM AND TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL ARABIC: AMAL IBRAHIM
REVISED SO KINDLY BY: GEORGE SZIRTES
Circles... awaken curves
the sweep of a waist
the bow of gratitude
the bent back of grief
Peace...produces a pale olive bough
so bitter is peace
Beginnings make me desperate for endings
Promises rouse me to silly patience
silly as a yellow balloon gliding carelessly across a minefield
Open spaces... inspire an open mind
how lovely you were, dear friend, before this journey
the lines of your hand have grown too clear
Perfume...inspires me to hunger
My fingers....to a strange compass
that points to the birds that broke through my ribs
just to land near you
since you are the only one who
inspires me to beginnings...
POEM AND TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL ARABIC: AMAL IBRAHIM
REVISED SO KINDLY BY: GEORGE SZIRTES
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