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Best Poems From
LAALA KASHEF ALGHATA
(18 February 1990)
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1.
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Broken Hearts
She made to spit her heart out
into her waiting hand,
a half an inch away
from curling into a fist.
I grab her by the shoulders,
look into her eyes,
tell her she's beautiful,
wonderful and that I love her.
I grasp her chin in my hand
make her look up and see
the world, which is so in love
with her. Her smile, her laugh
and the way she's always ready
to stick her tongue out.
She breaks down and I hate
to see her so desolate,
so defeated. She is Napoleon
at Waterloo and I wish
it were otherwise
or that it were another time.
I hug her, make her promise
to never spit out her heart.
It's too precious, I tell her.
She looks at me, doesn't reply.
Laala Kashef Alghata
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2.
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Fading Need
Shattered fragments of silence
fall in slivers to the floor
as I think about the endless
summer days, with the air
conditioning blasting on our faces
freezing the tears on our cheeks.
Possibilities, endless, stretch
into our lives like spiderwebs,
unseen and unprovoked
at first before we open our eyes
to the truth and turn into
the destructive forces that we are,
ripping apart dreams
of a winter season in summer,
and home a long flight away.
I choke on my thoughts
as the nights find me alone,
wondering about the days
to come and how empty
or full they will be.
I close my eyes and reach
for the crystal ball within
and I try to find joy
in the swirls of fog.
We've fought for independence
our entire lives, tried to break
past defences placed to stop
us from experiencing dangers
for ourselves, danced past
patterns of warnings and tried
to come of age. Now we are
old enough to deal with the tears,
the heart-wrenching pain of saying
goodbye and wondering if we
would ever see a loved one again.
The kisses on our foreheads
are brushed away and the stars
disappear into the soft velvet
of the sky, fading with the need
to wish on each one every night.
Laala Kashef Alghata
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3.
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Kiss My Knuckles While I Hold Your Soul
I write beauty like light in glass,
fleeting and unique. I want to catch
your tears and put a stop to the sadness
that threatens to envelope us
and propel us into obscurity. So kiss my knuckles
while I hold your soul and let us see
what comfort we can give our aching hearts.
I told the world to cry diamonds
because thats how much pain is worth
and as your eyes dropp I catch a gem,
note its radiance,1.28 carats
of distress resting in my hand like thunder.
I smile into your mouth, my remedy
to your every malady, let my eyes
scream laughter and let my gaze fall
on you. You tilt your head back
and I bow my body down.
I take your fingers in mine and between
us were clasping your so soul tightly
it begins to bleed. You say, look how I hurt.
I say, yes, but dear, most wisdom stems from pain.
Laala Kashef Alghata
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4.
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Crimson Death
Shock. Horror.
A fresh wave of grief.
One shot. Two shots.
Two people. Dead.
Blood.
Bodies left for the shadows
to indulge.
Death:
metallic,
bitter.
Anger and frustration.
Those soldiers had no right.
I cried a river of blood;
in this goblet, a few drops,
crimson.
Mr. President:
Drink.
Laala Kashef Alghata
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