BabylonBob
New Member
After I retired from law, I took up poetry writing. What I like about poetry is one can cover a 40,000 word essay in less than a thousand words. I hope you enjoy my verse "Pardon Me O Babylon" from an IRAQ family POV
Pardon me O Babylon
Part one: History
Mesopotamia, begetting civilization and
Creating world wonders: Garden of Eden,
Babylonian Hanging gardens, Ziggurat at Ur,
Gold statutes and Illuminated manuscripts.
O Babylon! What art and culture you gave
Us: Civilization and governance, fine pottery,
Permanent dwellings and wheels speeding
The human journey, and in writing cuneiform
The human story telling, the human spirit
Nourishing and erotica recording,
O Babylon! Builder of civilizations and
Creator of the Code of Hammurabi, giving
The world embryonic science, light transmitting
Glass and the astounding secrets of the stars.
O Babylon! Your Euphrates and Tigris embracing
To provide abundance to the world: almonds
And flowers seduced by bees for making honey,
Mounds of sweet morsels produced by
Phallic palms and for posterity, developing
Desert sweetening canals for desert greening
Bulgur-wheat and for rice, the marshland's greening grain,
And for clouds of sheep kissing the verdant plain.
Forgetting your myriad gifts, we came warring.
Pardon us O Babylon!
Part two: Babylon's Heirs
Karima and Mohamed farmed fourteen hectares,
Ancestral lands between the Tigres and Euphrates,
Lush land in the Benaji region,
On the fertile Babil plain
When they married, on the plain their families gathered,
Dotting the land with tents,
Groves of dates, oranges, peaches and plums
The families planted
And for home and livestock wells were dug.
The land was channeled for flowing water
And pastures fenced in for familial gifts of
Sheep, goats and dromedaries.
An abode was built, fortress thick walls, and windows tall
And narrow to keep out the blazing sun.
A Pantry cellar was dug, the newlywed's home built above it,
A Large community room, for eating, lounging and
Guest entertaining and three bedrooms around it.
The pantry cellar beneath was stocked with familial
Gifts: wool, olives and olive oil, meat, cheese and honey,
Perfuming the home with their fragrance raising above.
The roof top kitchen dissipated its heat into the desert air
And wafted aromas over the farm, like pheromones.
The home: for entertaining friends, resting,
Making Love and children raising and
dreaming of their girl's wedding.
Karima's herb garden: sage, chamomile, basil,
Thyme, parsley, tarragon, rosemary and oregano,
Delighted and refreshed her soul.
Her kitchen garden: eggplant, squash, tomatoes and
beans she nurtured and harvested for her family's table.
The beautiful black hair and dazzling smiles of
The couple's seven children awed their parents,
And filled their souls with joy.
Their bedroom rich in carpets of sheep skins and
Woven wool and an abundance of large pillows
Embroidered in silver, gold, black and blue
Welcomed them at night to connubial privacy.
Mohamed gently stroked Karima's white breasts
And her honey-melon belly in the pale moonlight
And stroked her thighs and soft curly hair between
As she sighed with delight at the pleasure.
Her cat's eyes seeing Mohamed's
Delight in seeing her exposed in the flowing
Moonlight, she mused: My happiness is
Complete, thanks be to Allah.
Returning from school the eldest son asked if there
Would be war? Only Allah knows and Allah
Willing the joy-draining embargo will end.
Life is good mama, the daughter said and
Our teachers say since life is good for our leaders
And the foreign leaders, why would they Want war?
Your teachers are very wise Karima replied and Allah
Willing there will be no war.
Leaders not fearing, history forgetting, they came warring.
Pardon us O Babylon!
Part three: Dogs of War
War bounded over the horizon and unseen, unseeing
Uncaring eyes were quick to click insensate numbers
To guide death and destruction to a rendezvous with
Karima's family gathered in the large room for rest from
Farm chores, children's play and eating their noon meal.
Returning from the nearby village and seeing her farm oasis
In the dim distance Karima's heart raced ahead and was with
Her family when the thousand pound shadow moved unerringly
To her family and boiled the air with fire and roiled billowing
Clouds out of the farm-obliterating crater.
Earth quaking mind shattering explosion and Karima collapsed
And her shoulders shuddered as she grasped for air while
Red rain fell.
Who are these rulers that ignore the welfare of
Their people and spend their nation's treasure on the
Apparatus of war.
Who are these rulers who avow it's peace they bring
When it's plain that war is behind their teeth.
Who are these rulers that use hot-button words to
Excuse perfidy, torture and war.
Who are these rulers that cry havoc and
Unloose destruction upon Babylon's heirs.
Who are these rulers, who are their minions
That pour destruction upon women and children.
Who are these rulers that hurl the poisonous serpent
At hungry people needing nurturing and sustenance.
Part four: Memories
In her brothers house, in a nearby town, Karima
Looks at the hand once held by Mohamed
The hand that caressed and soothed his strong body
The hand that tied her daughter's jijab
The hand that teased milk from udders.
Karima's memory pales but sometimes she remembers
Mohamed gently stroking her breasts and her belly and thighs
and the hair between and the pleasure he stirred within her.
But as memories pale
Karima mostly remembers the Red Rain.
Pardon me O Babylon
Part one: History
Mesopotamia, begetting civilization and
Creating world wonders: Garden of Eden,
Babylonian Hanging gardens, Ziggurat at Ur,
Gold statutes and Illuminated manuscripts.
O Babylon! What art and culture you gave
Us: Civilization and governance, fine pottery,
Permanent dwellings and wheels speeding
The human journey, and in writing cuneiform
The human story telling, the human spirit
Nourishing and erotica recording,
O Babylon! Builder of civilizations and
Creator of the Code of Hammurabi, giving
The world embryonic science, light transmitting
Glass and the astounding secrets of the stars.
O Babylon! Your Euphrates and Tigris embracing
To provide abundance to the world: almonds
And flowers seduced by bees for making honey,
Mounds of sweet morsels produced by
Phallic palms and for posterity, developing
Desert sweetening canals for desert greening
Bulgur-wheat and for rice, the marshland's greening grain,
And for clouds of sheep kissing the verdant plain.
Forgetting your myriad gifts, we came warring.
Pardon us O Babylon!
Part two: Babylon's Heirs
Karima and Mohamed farmed fourteen hectares,
Ancestral lands between the Tigres and Euphrates,
Lush land in the Benaji region,
On the fertile Babil plain
When they married, on the plain their families gathered,
Dotting the land with tents,
Groves of dates, oranges, peaches and plums
The families planted
And for home and livestock wells were dug.
The land was channeled for flowing water
And pastures fenced in for familial gifts of
Sheep, goats and dromedaries.
An abode was built, fortress thick walls, and windows tall
And narrow to keep out the blazing sun.
A Pantry cellar was dug, the newlywed's home built above it,
A Large community room, for eating, lounging and
Guest entertaining and three bedrooms around it.
The pantry cellar beneath was stocked with familial
Gifts: wool, olives and olive oil, meat, cheese and honey,
Perfuming the home with their fragrance raising above.
The roof top kitchen dissipated its heat into the desert air
And wafted aromas over the farm, like pheromones.
The home: for entertaining friends, resting,
Making Love and children raising and
dreaming of their girl's wedding.
Karima's herb garden: sage, chamomile, basil,
Thyme, parsley, tarragon, rosemary and oregano,
Delighted and refreshed her soul.
Her kitchen garden: eggplant, squash, tomatoes and
beans she nurtured and harvested for her family's table.
The beautiful black hair and dazzling smiles of
The couple's seven children awed their parents,
And filled their souls with joy.
Their bedroom rich in carpets of sheep skins and
Woven wool and an abundance of large pillows
Embroidered in silver, gold, black and blue
Welcomed them at night to connubial privacy.
Mohamed gently stroked Karima's white breasts
And her honey-melon belly in the pale moonlight
And stroked her thighs and soft curly hair between
As she sighed with delight at the pleasure.
Her cat's eyes seeing Mohamed's
Delight in seeing her exposed in the flowing
Moonlight, she mused: My happiness is
Complete, thanks be to Allah.
Returning from school the eldest son asked if there
Would be war? Only Allah knows and Allah
Willing the joy-draining embargo will end.
Life is good mama, the daughter said and
Our teachers say since life is good for our leaders
And the foreign leaders, why would they Want war?
Your teachers are very wise Karima replied and Allah
Willing there will be no war.
Leaders not fearing, history forgetting, they came warring.
Pardon us O Babylon!
Part three: Dogs of War
War bounded over the horizon and unseen, unseeing
Uncaring eyes were quick to click insensate numbers
To guide death and destruction to a rendezvous with
Karima's family gathered in the large room for rest from
Farm chores, children's play and eating their noon meal.
Returning from the nearby village and seeing her farm oasis
In the dim distance Karima's heart raced ahead and was with
Her family when the thousand pound shadow moved unerringly
To her family and boiled the air with fire and roiled billowing
Clouds out of the farm-obliterating crater.
Earth quaking mind shattering explosion and Karima collapsed
And her shoulders shuddered as she grasped for air while
Red rain fell.
Who are these rulers that ignore the welfare of
Their people and spend their nation's treasure on the
Apparatus of war.
Who are these rulers who avow it's peace they bring
When it's plain that war is behind their teeth.
Who are these rulers that use hot-button words to
Excuse perfidy, torture and war.
Who are these rulers that cry havoc and
Unloose destruction upon Babylon's heirs.
Who are these rulers, who are their minions
That pour destruction upon women and children.
Who are these rulers that hurl the poisonous serpent
At hungry people needing nurturing and sustenance.
Part four: Memories
In her brothers house, in a nearby town, Karima
Looks at the hand once held by Mohamed
The hand that caressed and soothed his strong body
The hand that tied her daughter's jijab
The hand that teased milk from udders.
Karima's memory pales but sometimes she remembers
Mohamed gently stroking her breasts and her belly and thighs
and the hair between and the pleasure he stirred within her.
But as memories pale
Karima mostly remembers the Red Rain.
