She told me once

when she is dying,
she only wants to see
(if she can see)
the face of her nephew
there at the side of the bed;
that it is because of him
she stands a chance of getting into heaven
(if there is a heaven);
it is because of him
she won’t have to make amends,
do penance, seek redemption,
or wait for the blessings of a priest;
it is because of him
that she caught a glimpse
of what it’s like to have a child
and love him.

Kuwaiti Camel

You went missing
after the Iraqi occupation
5 years ago;
you had gotten lost amid the flames
and smoke that settled
on the hot dry desert
after the Storm.
The miracle was that you weren’t killed,
and found your way back,
after all this time,
to Mohammad al-Auwaisheer,
who wrote a poem
(in his happiness)
praising your loyalty.
You were in perfectly good health,
but Mohammad was surprised
when he found out you were pregnant.

copyright 1996