|
| Ahmad Matar. |
Ahmad Matar uses poetry as a tool to combat tyranny and to criticize flaws in Arab society. The poet was born in the village of Tammouna, near Basra, in south Iraq, in 1954. In his mid-20’s, he moved to Kuwait to work as a literary editor at Al-Qabas Newspaper. Soon enough, Matar’s blunt poetic attacks on Arab rulers made him an unwelcome guest in Kuwait. In 1986, he exiled himself to London, where he still resides today. He rarely exposes himself to Arab media, which he describes as a tool of execution and absurdity.
The Arab American News translates this poem in recognition of Matar and his brave poetry.
White Tears
I was a child,
when my dad worked as a soldier
in the army of the unemployed.
I did not have friends.
I was told,
my cousin is among the dead,
and my older brother is in exile,
and the other is imprisoned.
But the tears in father’s eye,
were never to be seen.
Despite the misery,
he held his head high.
But suddenly one day
I saw him crying,
like a bereaved parent.
I said: What is it dad?!
He replied with a definitive voice:
My son… the Leader died.
My confusion fought me.
I said to myself:
Is his death different than that of others?
Why would he cry for him now,
and he did not cry for the closest victims.
***
And here I am after long years,
wishing I were my dad on that day.
I was a child.
I did not understand the meaning of
tears of joy.
Translated from Arabic by Ali Harb.
Leave a Reply