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Open Poetry #28
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I am a terrorist.
| Open Poetry #28 |
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I am a terrorist. |
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majnu
since 2002-10-13
Posts 1088SF Bay Area |
I am a terrorist. A family restaraunt full of women and children - What a wonderful target, and a glass wall for effect; That is what she thought as I waved to her daughter, A darling child of perhaps four wearing a green frock, She had pale skin, and blue eyes brighter than Sirius; My skin is brown, and darker now from skins soccer, A two week growth to spare my face over summer break, And eyes of onyx, the kind that intimidate in a fight. Maybe he has a bomb, a nuclear device, or chemicals, I could - being a nuclear scientist it is my field, A bomb the size of my head, easily concealed in a bag; Her daughter was inquisitive, unprejudiced - innocent, The mother gave me a look that would curdle skim milk, And then pulled her daughter close to her - away from me. I have bled American red and cried California gold - I know how Muhammed Ali felt when he threw his gold into the Potomac. -Zaheer Abbas Ali -majnu -------------------------------------- Timid thoughts be not afraid. I am a Poet. [This message has been edited by majnu (08-18-2003 12:20 AM).] |
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| © Copyright 2003 Zaheer Abbas Ali - All Rights Reserved | |||
Kaoru
since 2003-06-07
Posts 3892where the wild flowers grow |
Hmm.. Very powerful write, enjoyed. |
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Nicole Senior Member
since 1999-06-23
Posts 1835Florida |
*sigh* When I read the title to the poem, my heart clenched up tight - and then I actually read the poem and said "oh....oh no..." - I think that it's wretched that we all live in a day and age when we are prepared to think the worst. After what happened in the US, and what has happened for so many years in other countries - sigh, I just don't know - I hate that this situation you speak of in your poem happens, that some feel like it *has* to happen. A person could be an American by birth and lived here for 50 years, and suddenly, they're automatically a terrorist because they don't fit the perfect cookie-cutter mold. This made me think. Thank you for that. Nicole |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Zaheer, you handled this very sensitive subject with an open heart, and open mind. You realize why the fear - and yet you understand you have as MUCH to fear as they. Thank you for portraying this so well. |
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Earth Angel Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215Realms of Light |
When I finished reading this provocative piece, I had a better understanding of where you were coming from. In times of mass paranoia, fear raises the ugly head of Miss-Trust.  EA |
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Toerag Member Ascendant
since 1999-07-29
Posts 5622Ala bam a |
Fear is the most dangerous thing the human, (or animal) a person can experience....and it's sad that it's result is this.....good write... |
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LilTai Member
since 2002-06-08
Posts 189United States |
as salaam alaikum thank you for this. many people judge without even realizing...just because you have brown skin or cover your hair doesn't make you a terrorist. Thank you for this. |
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Pilgrimage Member Elite
since 2001-12-04
Posts 3945Texas, USA |
majnu, I enjoyed this one. In the two last lines, I think it would be more effective if 'gold' wasn't used twice. The last lines are your sign-off, your finale, and they should be the most effective. Nan (Pilgrim variety) |
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Margherita Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236Eternity |
Very well written. This is the result of generalized fear and ignorance. And it hurts. A gentle smile will do? Love, Margherita |
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majnu
since 2002-10-13
Posts 1088SF Bay Area |
thank you all for the comments, support, and understanding. although to some extent should i expect no less from a community of poets and intellectuals. pilgrimage(n) thanks for the advice, i may change "gold" in the last line to "medal" it would be more descriptive and less redundant i think. -majnu -------------------------------------- Timid thoughts be not afraid. I am a Poet. [This message has been edited by majnu (08-18-2003 06:22 PM).] |
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idonthaveaname Junior Member
since 2003-08-19
Posts 15 |
"I have bled American red and cried California gold" great line! |
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WhiteRose Member Elite
since 2002-07-23
Posts 3208somebody's dungeon |
Hello dear friend. A very powerful write. But then, I expect no less from you. No matter what color, what race, what religion my friend, you have a poets heart, and that is what those of us who love you see. [This message has been edited by WhiteRose (08-19-2003 07:45 PM).] |
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icebox Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 4383in the shadows |
Acts of terror belong to no religion or race and poetry belongs to us all. We are perhaps a thousand years from any hope of a world without institutionalized hatreds. This is a small planet on the backside of a modest galaxy and we are a species that encompasses no more than seven definable strains of DNA. For the collective human soul to survive beyond the caves and camp fires of our predecessors we must find new ways to think and to understand each other. Having said that, it remains true that the world is full of predators from several species (not just human) and none of us alive today will see true peace in our lifetimes. The answers and solutions won't be found in blocks of semtex and spools of detcord, they can't be shot from the barrels of guns, nor defined by death squads or smart bombs. The answers and solutions can only grow in the human soul and will only survive when we produce a generation of children without the hatreds we ourselves learned as children. To do this, we must establish at least a compromised shadow of peace. Keep writing. You help us all. |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
I'm agreeing with all above, majnu, and applaud you for writing this. |
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