Poem: IBDAA - To Create Something Out of Nothing

Friday, 19 March 2004, 11:13 am
Opinion: Sonia Nettnin

IBDAA: To Create Something Out of Nothing

by Sonia Nettnin
For Dheisheh-Ibdaa

Dheisheh, West Bank, a sea/al-bahr
of flat rooftops
with water tanks
never reach
rims, but reflect
eyes like

Gazelles that leap
for fruit calyces
of pomegranate tree. Seeds of
grace wade
on ponds, emerge
with

Life is dance
Debkeh/raqs taqliidi
under
sun. Feet-on-fire move
to desert-step-rhythms
on terra-cotta earth. Petals of
white anemones
in dry/jaaf breezes
flow into

Visions
of the homeland ablaze
in footwork that counts
drops
of lemon/liimuun trees. Stories speak
Al-Nakba, catastrophe
Tents flap
dwell in sounds
of frigid winds…
hold onto spring…

Ibdaa
is heart of Palestine. Fields of
purslane, yellow flowers
on lips
hum
honey melodies. In
pockets, keys
to desires people the land
of time. Their fingers
comb wool
homespun
hands caress the lamb
that bleats
in
God’s aba.

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