Monday, August 4, 2014

A Room of My Own: Covering the Middle East

for Edward Said, author of Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World

the flurry of white
between minarets
a scream cut short

If it bleeds, it leads
scrawled on a reporter's note
pinpoint bombings


Note: Covering the Middle East is a sequel to the following poem, which was first published in Chrysanthemum, 15, April 2014

The Promised Land

What will you do if they uproot your trees?
What will I do? Only plant them again.
What will you do if they bulldoze your houses?
What will I do? Only build them again.

Facing the stone-wall silence of riot police, a large gathering of men, women and children sings louder and louder, but none concedes his or her position.

hazy half moon
the separation wall
where olive groves stood


German Translation

Das verheißene Land

Was wirst du tun, wenn sie deine Bäume herausreißen?
Was wirst du tun? Sie halt noch einmal pflanzen.
Was wirst du tun, wenn sie deine Häuser niederreißen?
Was wirst du tun? Sie halt noch einmal bauen.

Auf die steinwandige Stille der aufrührerischen Polizei trifft eine große Ansammlung von Männern, Frauen und Kindern, die lauter und lauter singt, aber keiner gibt in seiner Position nach.

verschleierter Halbmond
die Trennmauer
wo einst Olivenhaine standen

1 comment:

  1. Below are my another two haiku about the Middle East conflict:

    Gaza at dawn
    the shriek of a bullet
    tearing the wind

    NeverEnding Story, February 2, 2013


    Gaza at twilight…
    crying old tears
    at a new funeral

    Haiku News Anthology 2009-2011

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