Rain

"Your eyes are two palm tree forests in early light,

Or two balconies from which the moonlight recedes

When they smile, your eyes, the vines put forth their leaves,

And lights dance . . . like moons in a river

Rippled by the blade of an oar at break of day;

As if stars were throbbing in the depths of them . . ."

It was so dry. I have never lived in such an environment. Iraq is changing in its weather for sure. Dust storms were very frequent last summer. And it was a matter of discussion between Iraqis everywhere. Many have proposed some theories about it. Those who are satellite dish addicts always propose global warming as a cause. Some would add to the global warming more CO2 excreted from the old cars and electricity generators which all entered Baghdad in increasing amounts after 2003. Those who are less satellite dish oriented would often raise the possibility of the deterioration of agriculture in Iraq as a cause of leaving the land uncovered with plants, hence wind will easily take the unsupported soil and make a dust storm with it.


"And they drown in a mist of sorrow translucent

Like the sea stroked by the hand of nightfall;"

I quit cleaning some parts of my house. Especially those not that frequently used. But a little by little the neglect extended his dirty hand over most of my house. Water shortage encouraged me to leave things take the shape they want to be. And on the last few days I started to neglect my shape. My hair is always the first thing to be neglected. My clothes come next.

"The warmth of winter is in it, the shudder of autumn,

And death and birth, darkness and light;

A sobbing flares up to tremble in my soul

And a savage elation embracing the sky,

Frenzy of a child frightened by the moon."

If you type "rain in Baghdad" in the google search you will have the first results talking about "bombs rain in Baghdad" or "rockets rain in Baghdad". How ugly!
If somebody knows that bombs had rained in Baghdad, then he should know that badr shakir al sayab had wrote "the rain chant" or "rain song", one of the most famous pioneer poems of the new school in Arabic poetry. A school named "the free association school" of poets, where the lines can go with no rhymes. Lines with some musical rhythm.

"It is as if archways of mist drank the clouds

And drop by drop dissolved in the rain . . .

As if children snickered in the vineyard bowers,

The song of the rain

Rippled the silence of birds in the trees . . .Drop, drop, the rain

Drip

Drop the rain"

Today it rained generously. I felt energetic. I could not resist the idea of going outside. I watched the rain silently. It washed the depression dust away offering me a new day. I will go clean my house now.


The poet in italic fonts is part of badr shakr al sayad's "rain song" translated by Lena jayyusi and Christopher Middleton and published completely at the web site: http://www.jehat.com/ar/sayab/sub6e.htm