POETRY |
POETRY, AN EXPRESSION OF TELLING STORIES
Poetry attempts to address the very thing that connects us all: the human condition. A few simple words on a page can make us laugh, smile, cry, and even reflect. As a medium of storytelling that has been used for thousands of years, poetry has influenced culture and vice versa. It allows us to express our thoughts and feelings in an imaginative and dynamic way. Poems are meant to evoke something within readers; an idea, a memory, or even the courage needed to take action. Poems bring us together. The Qissah invites you to share your story, reflect, and create bridges for humanity.
Poems are...Meant to evoke something within readers; an idea, a memory, a story, or even the courage needed to take action.
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The clamor and buzz of injustice have been ringing for so long...
A broken world, crushed with greed, power, and division... The evil of violence and inequality stretching across the globe... Read Below |
I remember the blazing sun,
The tropical breeze blowing straight, At me; my bare feet planted on my home ground, Home town, left behind stripped away my insides, Taken away and forced to stay, away from sight, away From light, away from the stars that shined so bright. One day, two day, I lost count, unable to differentiate, The floor from the sky, my mind and reality turning A shady grey, a dark night, there are no stars in sight. The warmth of my candle makes me cold, the memories, Of my home, my lost woes are in plain sight; I can not sleep Tonight. Yet my eyes are closed the darkness grows And I can't awake from this dreary night I want to go, I want to, I want, I, see the look in your eyes, Am I a ghost? You peer right through my soul, soulessly, Mock my hair, mock my stride, you can't even look Me, in The eyes. I Am Here. Can you not see me clear -What do You see? Can you see my past, the years in darkness, alone, Away from everything I've ever known, forced insane, now forced To be seen as a beast. It is truly a dark day, when the victim, Is the only thing Shown, on display |
Remarkably rich in culture and history,
An ancient land of Abrahamic traditions, Beneath the stones and olive trees, Whispering the stories, Of endurance, courage, and coexistence A tapestry of faith, love, and bravery, Has crumbled in conflict suffered from unbearable strife, From Bethlehem to Jerusalem to Gaza to Hebron, Has become a land of suffering and occupation, Every step with pain, distress., and human rights violations. Daily cries of checkpoints, land theft, and home demolition, Continuous wars, violence, and humiliation, Settler colonialism, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid, Dehumanization and children arrested in the middle of the night, Every wall and stone witness the blight. Lies, propaganda, and one-sided story are widespread, Yet they stand tall and spirits unbroken, The road could be long, but the courage is strong, The sun will rise, and Palestine will be free, A tale of resilience, from the river to the see. |
My ancestors may have been enslaved, dehumanized, despised, but my eyes won’t cry;
They’ll stare. Win an eye contest with the sun and burn. Burn with passion, unextinguishable. Facing the sun knowing the shadows from the past will always be behind every step I take forward Born on the land whose soil is rooted, in my ancestors turmoil, but I won't stand, I’ll kneel and pull those roots out the ground and expose the truth Show those roots are real and still growing, still alive and breathing, breathing life on to one and death to another Plant the seeds of truth underground and watch those seeds bloom Bear fruit, young, mature, and then fall down to nourish the soil again Forever. |
our shared Humanity
Tasneem Sultan
The clamor and buzz of injustice have been ringing for so long
A broken world, crushed with greed, power, and division
The evil of violence and inequality stretching across the globe
It seems we have deserted our humanity
And our society is crammed with hurdles and obstacles of inequity and xenophobia
Will we cross the bridges of fear and unknown phobias?
We need to open our hearts
We cannot afford the walls of separations anymore
Still, there is time to find our lost humanity before it is too late
And act to connect the dots of compassion
To see the inside beauty that we all have
A pledge for peace and equal rights to heal broken hearts and world
The road looks long and hazy, but together we can rise up
There’s always light and hope
That we can find in the shades of darkness
Like shining stars in a dark, dreary night
And bring the world together through our shared humanity
A broken world, crushed with greed, power, and division
The evil of violence and inequality stretching across the globe
It seems we have deserted our humanity
And our society is crammed with hurdles and obstacles of inequity and xenophobia
Will we cross the bridges of fear and unknown phobias?
We need to open our hearts
We cannot afford the walls of separations anymore
Still, there is time to find our lost humanity before it is too late
And act to connect the dots of compassion
To see the inside beauty that we all have
A pledge for peace and equal rights to heal broken hearts and world
The road looks long and hazy, but together we can rise up
There’s always light and hope
That we can find in the shades of darkness
Like shining stars in a dark, dreary night
And bring the world together through our shared humanity