Alexandria

Alexandria
Darren White

Darren White

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Staff member
Alexandria (Al-Iskandariyya)

-1-

This narrow vein
pulses red
earth's blood
meanders through barren valleys
A surface wounded
cries dry tears
to Iskandariyya

White sails cover undercurrent
once sun-burned monoliths choke
tide provides no air for their
drowned lungs


-2-

Where does papyrus grow

How can I write
with these reeds
my ancestors' annals

Where is that land
that has my name
displaced
cast out
yesterdays and tomorrows
erased.


-3-

Merciless strangers
hewn mouths in set faces
staccato tongue
dismissive diaspora

White cotton spores blown
scattered by khamaseen*
lose their protective shell

They suffocate and burn
on hostile soil

***

* خمسين khamsīn: Hot desert wind, blowing from south to north.
 
Another one about my background ;)
 
Darren White said:
Where does papyrus grow

How can I write
with these reeds
my ancestors' annals

Where is that land
that has my name
displaced
cast out
yesterdays and tomorrows
erased.
Click to expand...
I know, or at least I believe, you are talking about being cast out of your homeland. It is wonderfully written and deeply sad. If you don't mind though I also applied it to my feelings about my place in the world after the rape. I was "displaced" and "felt cast out" from my "yesterdays and tomorrows" all "erased" wondering "Where is that land that has my name." Thank you for sharing what must be deeply felt in your bones.
 
Thank you @earlybird
that was exactly my intention.

Although this poem is written with my specific situation in mind, it occurred to me it would be appropriate to share it.
Because so many of us have lost our sense of self and identity due to abuse, to rape. They/we lost our place in the world, our sense of belonging. We all are living in the cold land with hostile strangers. And we must try to survive and build a new life, fighting against the hurricane-like khamaseen.

For me personally, I only have a real home for about 5 years. And still, I don't believe it will be permanent, still, I have this bag packed under my bed, just in case.
 
Darren White said:
For me personally, I only have a real home for about 5 years. And still, I don't believe it will be permanent, still, I have this bag packed under my bed, just in case.
Click to expand...
That sense of being prepared to either have to flee or being cast out has dogged me all my life. I never realized others might feel the same way.
 
Gah, yeah, I also thought I was the only one.
 
I moved, even after I was married and with kids, every two years for the 1st 20 years after the rape. I was seeking something of which I do not know what it was. My kids friends thought we must be a military family. LOL
 
It's seeking safety. And only that one bag gives security because it allows for a sudden disappearance.
 
Realizing we share similar feelings or fears is greatly appreciated. Thank you Darren for posting. Wonderful poem.
 
This notion of "home" and how (or whether) that changes is something that's always held a deep hold on me. It's an emotional thing. I'm glad you shared this poem with us.
 
Stunning. The river as a metaphor is something that has long resonated with me. Though a river may serve as a temporal witness, the flow meanders along its course from origin to destination. Ostensibly it’s stronger at its delta, but also more vulnerable to the demands of others as it is beholden to the whims of nature—forever a contrast between the here and now and the there and then…

Will
 
Thank you. I agree. For me there is also always that connection with blood vessels and how they can meander, in hands, feet most visible. I use that often in my poems.
 
Darren White said:
Thank you. I agree. For me there is also always that connection with blood vessels and how they can meander, in hands, feet most visible. I use that often in my poems.
Click to expand...

The dendritic pattern of a river’s watershed and that of blood vessels can be strikingly similar…
 
Suwanee said:
The dendritic pattern of a river’s watershed and that of blood vessels can be strikingly similar…
Click to expand...
Yes, almost fractal-like :)
 
Suwanee said:
I often detect fractal-like qualities in both natural and built environments—even behavior..


Will
Click to expand...
Yes, so do I.
Issues we have can grow smaller, or larger. But they keep their shape. Won't disappear. You can deal with them by acknowledging they exist.
But the fractal can become a fracture and start to hurt.
 
AlexBoyd said:
This notion of "home" and how (or whether) that changes is something that's always held a deep hold on me. It's an emotional thing. I'm glad you shared this poem with us.
Click to expand...
@AlexBoyd
Somehow I missed your reply, Alex. It IS an emotional thing. It has changed so many times that I never had the opportunity to grow roots anywhere... until now.
 
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