“Poetry might be defined as the clear expression of mixed feelings.” ― W.H. Auden, New Year Letter
Summer
Summer Is Not Beautiful
Our summer is not beautiful because our girls have no new veils and our children have no smiles. In summer, the sea is windless and the sky is cloudless but the eyes of this world are blind to see my bare body. Summer is so lightweight and my house is summery in everything; there is no sofa, no television and no life. Our morning is hot and empty and our evening is dry and painful. Summer is not beautiful because its sun is dark and its tales are sad.
Our Crazy Summer
I am from the south where the sun is naked and the rivers are waterless. I can’t give you a rose because our summer is a flowers’ killer and our butterflies had retired in an anonymous day. Our summer is crazy; his hair is not combed and his rings are strange. If you see his face you won’t forget his scowl and if you touch his hand you won’t forget his coldness. Our summer is crazy and had taught us his bizarre story so this world doesn’t like our walking and it always tries to push us from the bridge.
The Dark Summer
The summer’s kites are beautiful and bear our dreams on their wings but our summer always cuts their silks and leaves us with tears. Our summer is an old dizzy portent so he knows nothing about our dry flowers and sees our pain but doesn’t send any breeze to smooth our reddish cheeks. Unlike our primitive souls, our summer is mysterious and dark. It has brought all the world’s smokes into our land in a faceless night.
Bio: Anwar Gheni Jaber
Anwar Gheni Jaber is an Iraqi poet, writer and artist. He was born in 1973 in Babylon.
Tessellated (poems in one poem) narrative, lyric writing and digital expressionistic art are his peculiar styles.
His name has appeared in many literary magazines and anthologies and he has won many prizes; one of them is the “World Laureate-Best Poet in 2017 from WNWU”.
Anwar is the author of “Narratopoet”; (2017), “Tessellation”; (2018) and other 60 books.
His websites: https://anwarjaber.wordpress.com
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/anwarjaber
For more poetry from Anwar Gheni Jaber on Two Drops of Ink:
Two Drops of Ink: The Literary Home for Collaborative Writing
Two Drops of Ink publishes poetry, prose, and problem-solving for the writer and blogger. How you say something will touch another in ways that our words can’t.
Dear Scott and dear Marilyn
Deep thanks for sharing and I am sorry for my sadness
I am the sad poet from the sad land
AJaber
Dear Anwar. I can not imagine the extremes of Iraq, whether it’s the temperature or the aftermath of war. Yet, through your eyes and words, I can.
In several studies, depression, sadness, and melancholy sparked creativity. When we capture the experiences through words, whether a post or poem, we let others glimpse their unknown. I thank you for bringing this possibility to us.
https://www.wired.com/2010/10/feeling-sad-makes-us-more-creative/
I think Marilyn said it best – your poems let us glimpse our unknown. Thank you for that, Anwar.
Yes dear I am from the sad land.
This makes me sad for Iraq.