Waziristan
Had you forgotten me?
Still here where contour lines swirl
Into impenetrable defiles
Where sparrowhawks spiral
And mountain streams tumble
Down to the Tochi River and beyond
Last night an aroma of palawoo
Wafted through the pistachio grove
Below our cavern and I thought of home
The compound in Riyadah
And Nona in the kitchen wreathed in steam.
Oh I know what is happening my friends
And all about my demonisation
It's there on my Toshiba laptop
I see it all the time
But the word of Allah is as crystal clear
As Shawal's sweet springs -
"Cast into Hell every hardened unbeliever...
Hurl him into the fierce tormenting flames!"
I'm sorry
Had you forgotten me?
I am
أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن
And like these mountains
I endure.
Notes:-
defiles - very narrow mountain valleys with single file paths.
Tochi - one of the principal rivers of Waziristan which eventually feeds into the Indus
palawoo - a goat stew much prized in the region
Riyadh - in Saudi Arabia, bin Laden's childhood home
Shawal - one of the high hill ranges of Waziristan
أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن - Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden
Good morning, Mr. Puddin',
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that any of us have forgotten Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden. Along with him, I have not forgotten that:
The United States government supported Iraq over Iran in their long war, thus supporting and making stronger the despot, Sadam Hussein.
The United States government supported and supplied the Taliban leaders in the Afghan war with Russia.
I can't forget that our military has now lost, in two wars that were begun with falsehoods and continue with deceit, many more of our own young men and women than the number that were killed on 911.
I remember every day that we are propping up two "governments" and the citizens of two countries who never wanted us to practice nation building on their land. This support includes many services such as universal health care for all citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan. All, while our own citizens suffer the consequences of the completely failed governmental policies of the past ten years.
I do remember that in a press conference, in the last year before he left office, President Bush said that it was not important if Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was captured or not!
On a completely different subject, Mr. Puddin', I don't want to send you a jar of peaches 'cause the jar might break in the mail before you got it. But, in order to further international friendship, if you send me a plane ticket, I will bring you a jar of my canned peaches. Deal? :)
Except for the peaches, I'd like to piggy back on everything you said, Ms. Thyme. But you and I may be the only two people left who remember anything past last week or the latest edition of Fox News.
ReplyDeleteMOUNTAIN THYME No deal with the plane ticket madam! I'll just have to get my peaches from the supermarket. Regarding your response to the poem - I am so pleased that it roused strong feelings in you and caused you to reflect upon the state of the world and America's role in it. Your phrase "wars that were begun with falsehoods" rings a bell with me. A lot of British people feel this way about Afghanistan but our voice is suppressed.
ReplyDeleteJAN BLAWAT Cynicism in the land of the free? I can't believe it! Next time you're passing Evergreen, Colorado you'll have to meet up with Mama Thyme and chew the fat together. Perhaps she'll get you chopping wood.
I don't know which is more frightening, your poem, images of the World Trade towers on 9/11, or the first two comments (except the part about the peaches).
ReplyDeleteSome people make Kool-Aid. Some people drink Kool-Aid.
Hi - I have had several people saying they can not leave comments on your ABC contribution. Can you give me a shout?
ReplyDeleteThanks
D
Regarding your question about drinking Kool-Aid that you raised over on my blog, I will answer here to keep the conversation on both blogs coherent.
ReplyDeleteRead this from the Urban Dictionary.
Did he ever exist or would it be better to compare through language to that other middle eastern background of the mirage?
ReplyDelete