They danced the New Year away in clubs
Apparently unconcerned
As the army patrolled
the city
and in neighbourhoods where poverty dwelt,
as a hated disease, or the only trusted friend
denizens slept fitfully, under blankets of dread,
and thick choking fear,
hung in the streets,
emptied
by curfew.
while those who had entertained death,
in their homes as an unwanted guest,
wailed loud and long, for loved ones gone.
They called them the worst riots since 1947,
And we, refugees in our own homeland
had escaped occupation,
to return
to this.
As once more we counted
our useless Dinars,
hoping for a miracle to restore their worth...
it came,
as allied countries attacked on 17th Jan
an open mouthed world watched,
history unfolding,
in a country...
many couldn't find,
on a globe.
And 40 days later
they rode victorious
into Kuwait
to be welcomed by
a flag waving populace
lining the streets
wreathed in smiles
or streaming eyes
as the tanks with their liberators rolled in
and to the North, bombed trucks lined
the highway to Iraq.
Retreating Iraqi soldiers
and the loot they had gathered
s p l a t t e r i n g
the blood drenched road.
A withdrawing army
completely destroyed!
They had called it
the
Turkey Shoot!
While in Iraq they mourned their dead,
across the border jubilation spread.
Such is the way of war.
And as we once more began, to gather hope... when
rubbing its eyes from a peaceful sleep on 22nd May,
India gasped in horror,
hopes of a steady government
blown to shreds,
the day before,
By an LTTE bomber.
Rajiv Gandhi; incumbent Prime Minister,
ASSASSINATED!
a bomb hidden
in an innocuous
garland of flowers
September; looking down from the airplane window,
expecting to see barren desert
stretched for miles
shocked eyes see
nothing
but
unending black smoke;
burning oil wells spewing poisons to the sky,
and in Iran
across the sea,
acid rain fell.
but reunited once more, happy to be home,
surprised to find all we owned, saved,
b y kind Palestinian neighbours,
and welcomed to their bosom,
with hugs and tears,
like long lost family,
only to have them
wrenched away forever,
when they, with 400,000 others,
loaded decades of their lives and memories
on to trucks, and trundled
away from Kuwait.
a payment for
supporting Saddam!
and among the returnees
unknowing of her destiny
went Rania Al-Yasin...
To become queen
of Jordan.
the war ended but death continued,
as mine fields claimed innocent lives and limbs,
often children playing or shepherds.
A nd on the beaches facing our home
smoke rose all day,
from mines,
discovered and blasted.
and in the evenings we walked on the promenades,
with thumping hearts.
and my daughter at three years nine months
with experiences beyond those tender years
started
school.
November came....
the last oil well was capped
and slowly
as another year approached,
the smoke receded.
and while the world around me changed,
silently,
within me,
began,
a new life.
Author notes
Perhaps a few explanations would make these easier.
the poem begins in the city of Hyderabad where most of Dec '90 and some of Jan '91 saw terrible hindu muslim riots. The city is divided into old and new the riots were mainly in the old city while in the new people still celebrated with the New Year's eve dance. the riots till then were the worse since India and Pakistan were divided in 1947, since these there have been worse riots after the breaking of the Babri Masjid.
we had been evacuated out of Kuwait in late august 1990. I spent exactly a year in India and quite a year it was.
on 22nd May i woke at 7 am and literally rubbing my eyes watched with horror the news of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination on TV. The bomb was not really hidden in the flowers but strapped to the suicide bomber's waist and she pretended to she wanted to place a garland around his neck and as he bent down she set the bomb off.
Most of the rest the world watched and knows. The libeation of Kuwait by the allied forces.
the oil well fires were one of the worse environmental disasters in this area.
perhaps a little known fact would be the Kuwaiti Dinar then as now was worth three times the US dollar but during those seven months of Iraqi occupation it was worth less than the paper it was printed on.
Many people lost a lot during that time almost everyone was recompensed through the UN. most people whether they made any claims or not were awarded 2500 dollars. Those who claimed more were given what they claimed,
Written June 10th, 2005
In a list
A contest entry
- The Year was 1991- Contest by Cat.
300 points, ended June 11, 2005, 6 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 18 of 18
-
what we forget while being desentisized by TV is that it is all about people... people who are the perpetrators and people who are the victims and everything else that happens too that concerns our world ultimately affects people, people who really are not much different from you or me and who could in fact be you and me and all of us in some way have been touched by some event that has become historic in significance.
-
You've seen so much and I'm glad you write about it for those of us who don't know and have only seen pictures on TV.
You make it all seem so real and in an understandable human way. Maybe these experiences have made you the strong and caring person you are today. -
I guess we were luckier than many who lost much more, we just touched the periphery of danger... and we were lucky in some ways because time and agaian we were given oppurtunities to help others. One of the starnge things I noticed during that time was that many of the people who returned home, Phillipinos, Bangla deshis, Srilankans etc went back to some kind of problems in their native lands. The truth though is that not anyone has suffered in the years before the invasion, during it, in the years that followed and till today, as much as the people of Iraq, I pray for them to find peace, and I also realise that we cannot just blame the west for their problems there are answers they have to find themselves and peace they have to make themselves. This continuous blowing up of each other almost every day; how long can this horror go on.
-
I must thank you for sharing this from such a personal point of vieuw , and then I must say I am sorry that you had to live through this
I am sorry for anyone at any time that experiences such horrors and the fear and sadness that goes with it...regardless on whom or what brought it about . I cannot understand how it is believed that the freedom of the world and unity and such can ever be achieved by going about it this way;( or the way that is going on now , and I bow in reverence that you are able to write about it like this without one maliscious syllable or word of hatred against anyone. Best wishes in this contest,
xoxo
Reenie
-
It becomes very difficult to maintain an optimistic outlook on humanity in the wake of such events… I’m not entirely convinced that chopping lines into zigzag strips turns an essay into a poem… although it might, but either way it was what should be said loudly and repeatedly until people make the connections required to stop the insanity! It may be only a pinprick in a monstrosity… but an atomic explosion starts with an incredibly small event – let us hope humanities maturity comes in the same way… but with less traumatic results, of course.
-
lovely written history in tragic yet beautifuly written
-
To be able to write this from the eyes of someone having seen such things in their own homeland, is amazing. No one can ever say that events such as any of these wars, 9/11 or any other tragedy are worth happening to bring about such potent writes, but we can say that it's a tremendous talent and fortunate for history on a personal level and more objective level that such writers as yourself do thrive and bring us what you saw and how you felt at the time.
Such a strong write. Another great entry that is going to make judging this contest such a hard feat to accomplish for Mary and I.
Thanks for the entry and best of luck in the contest.
Kim -
This is a marvelous, and unique take, on the seminal events of a very important year. In this poem, you permit the reader a very personal view of the serious consequence of War and disruption, from that of the displaced civilian. That is marvelous, and it is very easy to see how heartfelt the thoughts progressing are. Each political event has a personal consequence too. The poem travels through time, such that at the end we have a far deeper appreciation of personal sacrifice and the effects of violence. An excellent entry in an equally great contest Pari Ali!
-
Great
Wow that is a really intense poem, its really awesome. Nice work!!! -
Hi, a brilliant write even though it is so sad, but neally every year it is the same story somewhere in the world another war, more poverty, more death, will it ever end I wonder, very well written, all the best for me this is a winner, hugs Di
-
I'm saddened and a bit ashamed that I chose a quote from an american horror movie to represent this year and an amazing poet like you, lived through a horror such as this. I am pleased also that we chose to showcase a year which brought about such a fine poetic drama as this piece you've written to life.
I will reread this several times before judging and expect to understand only part of the scope contained in this.
A very strong write.
Best of luck in the contest-
Mary
Edited on Jun 10, 12:48 because 'typo'. -
You’ve depicted the horrid events of 1991 beautifully… sadly orchestrated by human beings… I do remember watching them on TV… everything became apparent after reading this… the worst scene that I’ll never forget is the oil wells on fire… it took Americans ages to put off the fire… I also liked the way you’ve scattered and distant the words like “stretched for miles” very well written…
mina
-
I got bored at times. I'm sorry.
-
wooo!!....ya just like beautiful tragedy....i was only like a year old so it told me a lot too!!! i really liked it and i hope you keep up the good work!!!! it was like a nice history lesson too!! lol but ya keep writing!!!
-
awesome
wow....im speechless....i was only around a year old at this time so this poem told me a lot that was happening...great job...nice emotions -
Only you could write this, and I had hoped you would.. knowing that your life, and your world had to be very much affected by what many of us only watched..
I truly believe that only those in the middle of a war, realise it with profundity, that the rest of us outside it, only skirt the edge looking in.. wondering perhaps what it must be like to breathe acid laced with hope..
Good luck.. this is strong..
¤´¨)
¸.·´ ´´ ·¨)
(¸.·´(¸.·¤hims/Lisa
Edited on Jun 10, 9:06 because ''. -
Wow, Pari, this is very stirring. You witnessed events which only poetry can express, for the history books never contain the emotions. I like the ending with returning order and new beginnings, because often a year ends without such encouragement, as it did in Russia.
-
I will be honest,it didnt keep my attention too well.Too much facts for me I guess.Sorry
Adding your comment:
1 - 18 of 18
9 old applause
