Three Poems | Ahmad Al-Khatat
Unwelcomed Farewell
When you articulate nothing at all
My heart becomes an occupied city
With the noise from the rockets, not birds
The clouds drop blood on my fictional planet.
The blue skies open its chest to those fireworks
I look at those happy faces, lovers kissing lips,
and pretty dresses. I am sorry darling for loving you
-without the ability to cover up my lousy tears.
Do not shatter the windows of daylight’s nostalgic
Open the door of unwelcomed farewell before they bomb us
Hit me with an axe before the death scrapes me
Wear a dress to reunite with my defeated spirit.
I am still awake, and I want more colours of happiness
I want new syllables to run over my refugee’s tongue
I also desire some pulse to hear with my ears and eyes
-closed at my imagination cuddling with you all night long.
Untouched Fleshes
How long will I love you woman
Your scent will wear your breath
With eyes like the sun, I am nervous
about my unfinished, and undreamed joy.
My enemy washes my blood of his hands
Looks into me! burns my past and presence
We breathe heavily as unpleasant summer rain
She screams, apologizes, and tears like a paper boat.
Those silent moments have not spelled a word,
His empowering face still seems like a deadly river
I search deep in his eyes for untouched bodies
She stares at the sky for several hours, asking
-for a cigarette. I wonder what she would do if
I stop her from smoking and kiss her truthful lips
Will he hear us and sends his tainted fingerprints-
on my abandoned skin then I question my freedom.
She holds my hands and doesn’t let me go away,
She says that her family owns an apology for me,
My watery eyes stop from aiming at the blank sky,
I love you woman, but I miss those untouched fleshes.
The Price of Humanism
Who is going to make the best offer for the price of humanism?
Who is going to buy humanity in one click!
Who is going to auction our rights and principles?
Money buys happiness for some people
Greediness and selfishness are invading their black hearts
Kindness sips liquors with a freedom of speech
While the real speech is waiting on his death role
It’s ridiculous how hard to cleanse our hearts and souls
Most of the goddess cottages are with wrongdoing prophets
who fight the believers who spell God with their accents?
I’m sorry my child, humanity judged you before you are born
Who will wipe your tears? like the way your mom and I did
Recall that you are free and don’t belong to any privileged class.
Lift your head to the sunshine and be proud of your values.
Bio:
Ahmad Al-Khatat was born in Baghdad, Iraq. His work has appeared in print and online journals globally. He has poems translated into several languages such as Farsi, Chinese, Spanish, Albanian, Romanian. He has published some poetry chapbooks, and a collection of short stories. He has been nominated for Best of the Net 2019 and was also nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2020.
