Eyebrows
Time stays still on your eyelids
colorless wave lapping on the shore
chirp of the last bird
unfolds musical notes
onto my tympanums
sea waves and windless emotion
when the canvas turns bloody
like the horizon at sundown
crickets start their arias
about lovemaking under
the moon’s promises
the tired sun searches for its bed
and us two in the embrace
of the evening
try to turn our dream
into reality
excerpt
Despite all the atrocities the Indian children have experienced
the system couldn’t change them, couldn’t mould them to
their ways. Why these kids can’t become like the proselytizing
Anglos? What keeps them and sustains them and they remain
Indians? How these savages know how to maintain their beliefs
and way of life despite the efforts of the occupiers and proselytizing
church fathers? The only answer lies in the natural abilities of
these savages to never compromise their beliefs and rights which
is the only way they can maintain their sense of goal and purpose
in life. And so they take the hits and strikes and punishments
while they maintain their composure and their rigidity knowing
well in their hearts that what goes around comes around. Truly
this has kept them alive and strong and optimistic that one day
things might turn to their favor.
Suddenly a thought came to Anton, an epiphany one could
say: he could go and take up studies as his father would like him
to do. Yes that could be his future, a higher diploma and a new
career. A university in the East would serve well in that respect
and Mary could feel good to go with him. Yes, a new beginning.
He couldn’t wait until he asked Mary what her feelings would be
for something like that.
❧
Marcus and Lucas got very angry upon learning about last night’s
incident and the light punishment Mr. Wilson received from
Father Jerome. George was very angry too, so was Anton, but
both Anton and George knew the law had to be abided and vigilante
solutions weren’t the best under the circumstances. So they
only hoped that the RCMP would charge the teacher and the
case would end up in a court of law where he would be sentenced
properly. However these explanations weren’t at all satisfactory
to the two Indian youths who would like to see the guilty man…
excerpt
them in soap and water and set the table with them. She had stoked
up the fire in the range to prepare a casserole of scalloped potatoes
and warm up the pork shoulder Mrs. Thompson had cooked during
the week.
Yesterday, with the intention of making a pie, the two women
had gone out to the bushes north of the farm to pick Saskatoon
berries. But when they came to make the pastry they could not find
any lard in the house, so there would be fresh berries with sugar
and thick cream for dessert.
When Ben came in he looked surprised to see no meal laid out
on the kitchen table. But he did not wear his usual scowl when
something upset him. Taking this as a good sign – and in a moment
of coquettishness – Sarah took him by the hand and led him to the
front room. He did not withdraw from this first gesture of intimacy
they had shared. A faint smile crossed his face when he saw what
she had done with the table.
“Long time since we had a tablecloth and nice dishes in this
house,” he said.
She hoped he would change back into the suit he had worn for
the wedding but he sat down at the table in his overalls. Because she
promised herself she would not start off their married life by nagging,
she let it go. But she still wore her white dress. Removing her
apron, she tossed it over a chair and sat down across from him.
He appeared to enjoy the meal but he ate in silence, as usual. Sarah
longed to talk about the wedding ceremony, but fear of invoking
his anger towards the townspeople in general, and Mr. Andrews in
particular, made her hold her tongue. Ben had been less than complimentary
about the station agent as they drove away from the
church, saying in a loud voice, “Interfering old bastard.” Sarah had
quickly rolled up the truck window.
She tried to think of a safe topic of conversation, and finally decided
to ask about his family. “You told me your mother died three
years ago, Ben, but what about your father? When did you lose
him?”
“He died when I was seven years old. Killed in the first war.”
“Oh, how terrible for you.”
“Didn’t bother me none. I hardly knew him. All I remember is
that he was tall and skinny. He left when I was four…
Gratitude
Oh, your hair that you comb
spreads around us
a forest of lemon trees.
We said: ‘what does he need it
in the stones and salinity
that choke our lives?’
Yet secretly we felt gratitude
as our defeated glance moved
along the inaccessible uphill
until it vanished in your glowing hair.
And, at night, when your hair sprang out
of your white pillow and
flooded your naked shoulders
we felt it
in our lessened loneliness.
PRAYER OF THE HUMBLE
Lord, evening comes again, and I beseech You.
No soul have I harmed other than my own,
and those who have harmed me are my own beloved.
I have accepted my own share of bitterness
and others’ too. Joy deserted me,
yet still I wait, knowing that to hope is sin.
I love the fear of the night like happiness,
though none knock at my door, only the wind.
I seek no glory, humble in everything I’ve done.
The rain’s song heard at dusk I have enjoyed,
to children I have given laughter and petting to the dogs,
the farmers I have welcomed returning from their toil.
Now nothing more have I to give or to retain,
nor do I expect reward: who could hope for that?
Oh Lord, grace me with my death, I pray.
Thank you for the plains and mountains that I’ve seen
excerpt
“Coffee, soup and ham sandwiches,” she announced as she laid the tray down on the table in front of them. She handed a paper napkin and a bowl of soup to Tyne. “Now eat. I don’t plan to take any of this back to the cafeteria.”
Tyne grinned at her aunt, and told herself she would do her best to comply.
Their lunch finished, they waited for Moe to come from the ward to tell them they could go in again. When Tyne looked at her watch, she realized that little more than an hour had passed. Then suddenly Moe, in her crisp white uniform, appeared at the door.
“Okay kiddo, you can see Bobby again. He’s rousing, and his vital signs are stabilizing.”
Tyne jumped to her feet and turned to her aunt. But Millie shook her head. “You go ahead, Tyne. I’ll see him tomorrow. He doesn’t know me well, and he doesn’t need to see a strange face staring at him when he wakes up. And take your time, dear. I’m fine here.”
Tyne reached down to pat Aunt Millie’s hand before she followed Moe through the door and towards the childrens’ ward.
“How about Ronald? Has he settled? He was upset when I saw him.”
Moe opened the door and motioned Tyne to go ahead of her. “He had a sleep, and he ate something when he woke up. He’s going to be all right … except for the frostbitten parts. Those are still a question mark, I’m afraid.”
Tyne stepped through the door, but stopped when she saw Dr. Bryce Baldwin speaking to a white-clad nun near Bobby’s bed. Moe left her side and walked towards them, and the three of them conversed for several minutes. The sister was making notes on a chart – Bobby’s chart, presumably. Then she turned her head slightly in Tyne’s direction. Dark lively eyes below her wimple highlighted a pretty face as she spoke to the two people with whom she consulted. Moe said something, and nodded in Tyne’s direction. The sister turned towards her, a smile lighting her eyes. She handed the chart to Moe and started towards the door where Tyne stood.
excerpt
“Come in, my son, come in. Let me introduce you to the Minister of Finance,
Omar Salem. Here’s one of my sons from the United States, minister. His name
is Talal Ahem.”
Omar Salem looks at Talal and smiles.
“He’s one of the seven?”
“Yes.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, sir,” Talal says, and shakes the man’s hand.
“You, too, Talal Ahem,” says the minister. “Should we expect you to return
to your country soon?”
Ibrahim smiles with obvious pleasure as he tells the minister, “He’s a
chemical engineer.”
“A chemical engineer, very good; now, this is a man our country needs, don’t
you think, my good friend, Ibrahim?”
“Yes, of course. Yes, our country needs all her talents to help her in our years
of development.”
“Please tell me, Ibrahim, when your dearest son Hakim will visit us?”
“I hope very soon in the new year, minister.”
Talal shakes the hand of the minister once again and leaves him with Ibrahim
in the study. He finds Emily in the garden and they walk together for a while.
She’s curious to know what happened.
“Who’s meeting with Ibrahim, honey?”
“It’s the Minister of Finance for Iraq.”
“Well, it certainly seems Ibrahim is well-connected here.”
“He’s well-connected all over the world, my love. What surprises me,
though, is that there are seven of us in the United States.”
“What do you mean, seven of you?”
“Hakim and I are in the United States thanks to Ibrahim’s money. Now, I
find out there are another five who have gone to the states for studies, just as
Hakim and I did. I only know Ahmed, in Los Angeles whom I see often, but who
are the other four and where are they?”
“Why did Ibrahim send you if you are not a blood relative?”
“My mission is to be with Hakim and make sure he never feels alone, nor gets
into trouble. To make sure nothing bad happens to him.”
They walk hand in hand, silently, while Talal tries to figure out who the rest
of the seven could be and where they may be now. There must be a reason the old
man sent us all to the United States. Talal knows he needs to find that out before
they return home, so he can brief Hakim before he gets involved with Bevan and
his plans.
“Tomorrow we’re going to the gulf. Are you not excited?” he asks Emily.
NOW
Now,
not tomorrow.
Not another time,
not in another season.
Now.
What I have to do now,
now is the time for it,
and what I should do tomorrow
or at another time,
in another season,
I will do it then,
immediately,
on the spot.
Tell me now what you have to say,
and destroy
what you have to destroy,
lift up,
what you have to lift up,
live what you have to live.
Every upcoming day
Live what you have to live.
As nothing is left
for us.
Just the death…
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7KT7ZFV
Twenty-Second Hour
In the hands of zealots He places
matches and they march to the burning site
where they conflagrate holy books
and the enemy’s hovels
ostracized reason rebels
against simple thought
invisible bow strikes notes
and the birds of prey swallow
bitter beads sweating multitudes
gather and an archaic ziggurat decays
in their arrogant minds when
like silence of untold myths the
pandemonium of arcane words
impede all progress and vanity
of dramatic scenes neglects
sanctity of pious peasants
and artful efforts of
thought police the moralists
insisting on the absurdity
as Jehovah breaks
a sinister smile at the chaos His
gift of the polyglot concept erupting
more futile in vain whitewashed bodies
and I ask her to slightly open her lips
to define my finger guiding
her smile against the mirror’s wish
as outside our open window
pieced-out souls go by
with seamed partitions
one for the spring another
for Death one for summer
at last one for the red egg and
smiling Death peeks from behind
the tree freeing a laughing
ladybug onto jasmine
and dons the polka dot tie with
confidence of the omniscient He
brings in the ever-sharp
translator asking ‘why?’
and the slum lord’s greed answers: who cares?
The Body
The body between the hands — history and music, word
and deed — oh, stone limbs and the wall, he said, the
wall; horse riders passed outside; the spurs shone in
the night gleam, the smell of the horses remained and
the air of their leave stirred the corner of the tablecloth
a little, and the only flower. We had to find the continuance
in things indifferent to us when the colourful lights of the
display windows were turned off and if there was something
beyond death, it was exactly that slow and pale colour
that rose from within death.
Manolis Aligizakis 