A Long Night ليل طويل

               A Long Night ليل طويل    

 

I watched a show that I recorded yesterday

I waited for this episode to come on for along time

I watched a little bit of the epidode about two months ago, but not the whole thing

What was it?

It was Anthony Bourdain in Beirut, Lebanon

They played this episode rarely

What was the goal of the show?

To make it a happy travel show

Was it?

No

Why?

The bombing of Beirut

When did it happen?

2006; four years ago

Israel and Lebanon had a war for fifteen years

Beirut just finished making the city spectacular again in 2006

Anthony just so happened to be there when Israel bombed Beirut

He was trapped in a hotel for more than a week

This was the worst bombing Lebanon has ever had

It all started with the airport

They bombed it first

Anthony knew he couldn't go home to his friends and family in the USA

Him and his camera crew people had to wait for more than a week to go on a boat back to America

Some of the people that wanted to evacuate got a chance to get on the boat

The faces of the people on the boat and off the boat were sad

They were crying

The bombing impacted them

Why do I like Lebanon so much?

I got into Arabic music and culture in January 2009

I became a huge fan of a woman born and raised in Beirut named Nancy Ajram

I've met Lebanese, Syrian, Egyptian, Mroccan, Algerian, and Iranian people on her official fan forum

They're nice people

They made me realize what all those countries are about

They're about good things

I want to go to all of those countries

Last night, I cried

I didn't know why

I was playing Nancy's music

It makes me feel better when I'm sad

It made me cry more though

"Why was I crying?" I kept asking myself in my head

I soon found out why

I thought about it and maybe it was because of that show I watched

It showed pctures of the people crying

It showed newspaper headlines saying "War Strikes Lebanon Once Again"

It showed bombing from far away

I was crying because of that and all of the things that happened to me involving Arabic stuff

It may not mean that much to you, but it does to me

I can't explain all of it because it's hard to explain

I texted my friend to get all of this stuff out of my chest

I thank her for being there

R.I.P to all of the lives lost in the bombing

Long Live Lebanon!

March 2, 2010

 

 

    

                               

Author's Note

beirut is still an awesome place and many people go there بيروت لا ي™ال مكان رائع وكثير من الناس الذهاب الى هناك

Reviews

[Mary]

i liked this, it was more of a story or statement than a poem. But the format fit, and not all poems are the same, great emotion and good connection to the reader! I'm sorry you were so impacted by this bombing:(, i hate when things like that happen too:)
P.S. i think it is cool you put it in more than one language!

[Titan]

This is a great memorial piece, and truly explains your emotions on the subject. It is nice how you also portrayed the arabic side of the poem (though I cannot read it!). You have a great talent for telling a story through a poem. Nice.

[Ian]

I liked this poem well written in to languages im not sure is it Arabic? o well great poem

[Coyote Poetry]

Israel was born from War. They suffer so much death. Now they became the master of death. I love to study History. I don't understand why they in the Middle East can't have peace together. My theory is the eye for a eye must end. Death to revenge more death. In the end no-one will be alive to celebrate life. The children will pay for the hate and greed of parent. Your poem was powerful and with a purpose. I believe I saw the tape when they bombs Lebanon. The life in the Middle East is hard. I pray they find their common sense.
Coyote