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Poetry
Ahmed
Farah
Mogadishu
I see a bird fly
Hear the muezzin’s cry
Indeed day is nigh
As the dark gives way to light
I prepare to witness many a fight
In the heart of Somalia’s former might
My homeland’s capital reeks of pollution
Our unity has undergone dilution
We have sunk in destitution
Is this retribution?
For implementing no resolution?
And disobeying our constitution?
Or is it the failure of democracy
In a land plagued by piracy
Filled with countries denied legitimacy?
As I walk on I see
The terror in my country
How people mourn relentlessly
Many an abaya walk by
Yet they are not nigh
For their faces are covered except their eyes
Men sit outside their houses chewing khat
Some are on a mat
Covering bald heads with their hats
Chatting away under trees
Grateful there are no bees
They dream idly of other countries
A jeweler comes from Harar
Women flock, clad in garbasar
To marvel at the jewelry made from gold bars
It is noon
I admire the minarets which reach the moon
On an acacia, a spider wraps its prey in a
cocoon
Uncle Saeed waves at me
His sons just stare at me
For to them I’m a peculiarity
They invite me for lunch
Though it is more like brunch
Together we munch
Finally, there is silence
The streets are filled with violence
Yet here I rest with no hindrance
Before I leave, I thank my host
Trying to make the most
For we may not meet except as ghosts
Heading home I see
Very much like a movie
The sun setting slowly
A beautiful sight, surely
Even in Somalia, merely
The night can inspire tranquility
When many cities rest
Mogadishu fills her breast
With cinemas, music and all the rest
Women flock to dance
At weddings sent by chance
Young boys try to sneak a glance
At last I retire
In the city that never tires
Full of wishes and desires.
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