Tears of the War-Torn Country

Close your eyes,

And listen to the sound of your

heart

break.

 

Imagine: approximately 71,998 square miles of land.

Imagine: buildings, streets, people bustling around you.

The smell of fast food, of smoke, of gas, of something sweet.

Look in front of you, look at that round about. Look at the water that comes up from the fountains, watch how it falls back down and splashes in its own meaning of perfection. Look at the cars driving around the fountain. Look at the buildings behind it. Look at the people walking up and down the sidewalks, going somewhere, leaving somewhere.

Look at everything around you.

Zoom out, zoom in on that piece of land. Zoom in on the acres of blackberry trees, on the acres of  yellow corn on the acres of vibrant apricot trees. Zoom in on the house, the white three story house that stands in the midst of it all. Zoom in on the extended family playing cards, laughing, eating fresh marmalade sandwiches. Drinking tea. Smoking a shisha.

Look at the white three story house, with the peeled paint. Look at the cards, the black and the red numbered cards Jacks, Kings, and Queens. Look at the marmalade sandwiches- made from fresh tortilla-like bread and apricot spread with fresh butter. Look at the small, clear, glass cups of tea. Look at the rich brownish red amber-like tea, the smoke slowly swirling atop the glass.

Zoom in on the smoke that floats out of the tip of the shisha, the sweet smell of smoked apple. Zoom out, zoom in on the sounds around you. Listen closely to the crickets, the sounds of the night. Listen closely to the soft rustle of the leaves, the faint bark of a dog, the distant gravel crunching beneath a car.

Look up at the sky, look up at the dark sky and lose yourself amidst the stars and the moon that shines boldly in the middle of it all. Look at the table your sitting on, the white plastic. Look at the cobblestones surrounding you, surrounding this ‘deck’ in front of the house.

Zoom out.

Zoom out and then zoom in on the strip mall. Zoom in on the tiny shop where the guy sells everything from Barbie dolls to hair spray to accessory pillows. Zoom in on the currency, the bills people pay him. Zoom in on the lera.

Zoom out.

Zoom in on a square area of dirt and sand, secluded from the road. Look at the beige stone walls that surround it. Look at the barbecue with the shawrma and the corn on the grill. Look at the plastic fold up chairs, the plastic table with people playing cards, smoking, drinking tea.

Step out of the secluded beige-walled square.

Now look at the street, with the Toyota’s and the Honda’s and the Minivan and the SUV’s parked all at the end of where the road ends. Look at the rest of the street, where there is a dbabeh, a small vehicle similar to a dirt-bike, the smoke billowing out of it, polluting the night sky. Look at the only two street lights, flickering on and off, mosquito’s buzzing around them.

Zoom out.

Zoom out, way out, look.  Look at the ocean that surrounds it, look at the countries that surround it. Look at the beautiful scenery, the ancient dunes and the old buildings. Look at the architecture, look at the lera. Look at the street vendors, the random shops, the people. Look at the apartments, the buildings, the parks. Look at the restaurants, look at the beauty of it all. Look at the single grain of sand, this golden grain of sand, this perfect grain of sand. Look at the  grass, this green blade of grass, put it up to your nose, and smell. Put the dirt up to your nose, and gently smell.

Now just stand amidst it all, close your eyes, and smell. Smell the tea, smell the smoke. Smell the sweet pastries, the shawrma. Smell the heavy perfumes, the light airy smell of yasmine. Smell the olive oil, smell the falafel and the shops and the hot weather. Smell the snow and the damp grass, the rain.

Open your eyes.

 

 

Guess.

Where.

You

Just

Were.

Do you have tears in your eyes?

 

Is your heart not clenching at the pain of watching such a beautiful paradise

This country of mine

Be torn to pieces?

Is your heart not clenching

At the thought of all those lovely people

All those innocent souls

Dying for the sake of God knows what?

Where are the shattered fragments of your heart?

 

Can you smell the jasmine?

Have you tasted the tea yet?

 

Is there anything more devestating

Than watching a country cry?

 

Somebody once asked

If you could change something in the world

What would you change

 

That is such a heavy question

It’s so heavy

Heavy with empty hope

Because no matter what I said

No matter what I say

No matter what I do

The universe has ignored my plea’s.

But

I’d change every war-torn country

Mine or not mine

Back to the paradise it physically was

Because in our hearts,

It is still a paradise

It still lives in our mentalities

As a paradise

But it’s lost its physical charm.

 

Well,

I can see why.

The universe would ignore my cries.

Because,

honestly.

Who the hell was

I?

This poem is about: 
My country
Our world

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