Quotes and poetry by djehanepoetry

Peace on Earth

Stop! Don’t aim! Don’t shoot! Listen…
It could be me: your teacher or classmate…
It could be me: your neighbor, your friend…
It could be one of my sisters, anonymous and veiled,
Struggling with her burden and her fate,
Dragging her lonely life along.
It could also be my brother,
Carrying the responsibilities of a lifetime…
Having several mouths to feed…
Will their deaths satisfy you?
Make you safer and more secure?
Will the destruction of my country
Make the world a better place?
Is it worth bearing the guilt of murdering,
Maiming, burning, and destroying?
Will the innocent blood of children, flowing
Like rivers, make the world safer?
Will gun smoke create anything but Hell?
Will the deafening explosion of grenades
Ever be erased from your memory?
Will the children, growing up orphans,
Ever stop cursing your name and
Blasting your presence on their land?
Will their widows ever cease blaming you
For their ordeal and predicament?
Forget about Power and Greed!
Forget about Hatred and Cruelty!
Forget about warmongering!
Don’t join their ranks.
You may end up hating yourself!
Don’t replace the sunshine with raging fire.
Don’t replace the birdsongs with gunshots.
Don’t replace Peace with War!
Don’t turn trusting people into fearful animals.
What kind of world would that be?
Aren’t we all the same, after all?
We are all brothers and sisters
Carrying the same burden,
Sharing the same cares, the same worries,
Having the same hopes and dreams?
Stop! Don’t aim! Don’t shoot! Listen…

© Djehane Hassouna, 2005

Rainbow of Emotions, page 153

djehanepoetry 9w

Terror

Hatred, Xenophobia, Bigotry!
These are the attitudes of those who fear
Being robbed of their control.
Apocalypse, Explosions, Innocent People dying!
These are the consequences of the barbaric actions
Of those wishing to impose their will.
They retaliate against those whose beliefs
Do not match theirs, bringing endless suffering
To the world around them. It is a contest for power:
“Let’s see who can most spread fear and
Terror! Who can best destroy the world!
Who can better intimidate the people!
Who can demonstrate being most cunning!
Who can undermine trust and confidence!
Who can replace life with death! Progress
With regression! Efficiency with paralysis!
Yes! Let’s see who’s the boss! Let’s see how
Vulnerable you are and how invincible I am!
Let’s see how I can shatter your comfort and
Peace of mind, and replace them with a confused
State of panic! Let’s see how I can devastate,
Destroy, and annihilate, reducing the world to rubble!”
What is all this nonsense about? Aren’t we all human beings?
Aren’t we brothers in pleasure, pain, hope, and despair?
Don’t we have the same fears, the same dreams?
Don’t we cringe in front of danger and misery?
Don’t we all have a free will that needs to be respected?
Yes! Cain! You’re killing your brother Abel all over again!

© Djehane Hassouna, 2005

Rainbow of Emotions, page 152

djehanepoetry 10w

What is War?

War is tears; war is fear;
War is error; war is terror;
War is pain and suffering for all.
War is a man-made hell.
War is the end of civilization.
War is living by the law of the jungle.
War is never victory but a constant defeat.
War is a stain on the face of History.
War is rewriting humanity in blood and tears.
War is ratified vandalism, a doomed legacy.
War is a blot on the conscience of Man.
War drives us back to the Stone Age.
Although war is far away,
I can hear the rumbling of explosions,
The detonations of grenades and missiles;
While people are dying for no reason,
I can see flames engulfing the horizon,
I can feel the horror of a blood bath:
It all reverberates into my existence.
I bid adieu to a peaceful conscience…

© Djehane Hassouna, 2005

Rainbow of Emotions, page 151

djehanepoetry 10w

World Ablaze

World Ablaze

The world is being blown up piece by piece,
One region after another! Where life should
Have been dwelling, death is now reigning.
And death does not discriminate; it targets
Men and women, children, and old people,
All innocent victims of war! How could people
Carry on their conscience the destruction
Of Man and Nature: the killing and maiming
Of so many human beings eager to enjoy life!
In this age of environmental protection, where
A tremendous effort is being made to save
The natural setting, where animal activists
Strive to convert everybody into vegetarians,
It is painful to see people focusing on setting
Every corner of the globe ablaze!

© Djehane Hassouna, 2006

Rainbow of Emotions, page 150

djehanepoetry 11w

Danger Averted

Waiting patiently on the shore, ready
To confront the mountainous waves of
The Sea of Contempt, ready to defy,
To challenge, to attack also if need be,
You find yourself dragged by a hostile current.
Rolling with the waves, hitting the rocks,
Vulnerable, helpless, unable to resist,
Bleeding and watching your blood mixing
With the water of an unleashed sea,
You shut your eyes, willing to compromise.
Suddenly a bird dives down to rescue
You from the jaws of death:
A promise of salvation, a respite from danger,
You are lifted to the sky while the abyss
Is robbed of its prey. Elevation…
On the wings of victory, you soar to new heights,
Crying, praying, thanking, with sincere relief:
Danger averted; Death turned away; Hope
Reinstalled. What a unique experience!
The enemy is crushed for good!

© Djehane Hassouna, 2005

Rainbow of Emotions, page 66

djehanepoetry 12w

Social Life in the Sky

I cannot tell which bird is carrying on in such a manner;
I cannot interpret these recriminations expressed
With audacity and persistence! It is the voice of someone
Who knows his own rights as well as those of others!
It could be a lawyer bird defending his companions
Or his clients objecting to their being unjustly treated
Or, perhaps, presenting a plea in their favor. It could
Also be a mother bird admonishing her offspring,
Setting them on the right path, giving them advice
Or teaching them right from wrong! It may be a guide bird,
Taking a group of birds on a tour of the environment,
Examining each tree, studying every branch and leaf,
Each berry and each fruit… It may also be a police bird,
Enunciating the rules and regulations: this is permitted,
And this is not allowed. The bird goes on and on;
Then, all of a sudden, there is a profound silence.
What ever happened to the bird? I cannot tell!

© Djehane Hassouna, 2006

Rainbow of Emotions, page 64

djehanepoetry 15w

Tremor

Trembling like a leaf in the breeze but without falling;
Trembling like a flag in the wind but without a country;
Trembling like a bird in the snow and without protection;
Trembling like a cat in winter while freezing and purring;
Trembling like a fish out of the water, unable to respire;
Trembling like a motherless child crying herself to sleep;
Trembling like a school kid who has just failed his exams;
Trembling like a fallen athlete who has lost his power;
Trembling like a country at war, brutalized by the occupier;
Trembling like anyone forced to leave his country of choice
And fearing the prospect of a tremendous culture shock;
Trembling like the Earth in the aftermath of an explosion;
Trembling like clouds frightened by a thunderstorm;
Trembling just like me, falling prey to tremor...

© Djehane Hassouna, 2007

Rainbow of Emotions, page 129

djehanepoetry 24w

Little by Little

Little by little I’m slowing down;
I’m no longer able to challenge Fate
Or to keep up with the things I used to do.
Little by little the familiar environment is becoming
Less sharp, less precise, less defined!
Little by little, each load is getting heavier,
Harder to carry, more difficult to tackle.
Little by little I find myself accomplishing less
In more time, unable to plan ahead or even
To carry the load of a single day!
Little by little, I find myself praying that
My health would sustain me a little longer!
That my eyesight would last so I could enjoy
My daughter’s beautiful presence! That I would
Not become a burden for her! That my image,
In her memory, would remain as strong as she has
Always known me! That I would keep inspiring
Admiration rather than pity! That my last impression
Would be that of power instead of helplessness!

© Djehane Hassouna, 2007

Rainbow of Emotions, page 118

djehanepoetry 25w

Wisdom, The Essence of Life

Life is like a game of chess: one step makes you
A winner, another turns you into a loser!
You should not let Joy carry you away,
Nor should you allow hardships to crush your spirit!
You should be prepared for both…
Since one cannot have everything, you can
Endure anything with the power of Reason,
For the sake of your loved ones!
Wisdom is the Essence of life: a wise person always
Allows Reason to rule, measure, and weigh things out,
To create a balancing act so emotions cannot take over,
Wreaking havoc with a sane equilibrium! Under the guidance
Of Reason, a great deal could be accomplished smoothly,
Moderately, quietly, and could definitely keep at bay any
Explosive approach to unexpected events of life!

© Djehane Hassouna, 2005

Rainbow of Emotions, page 81

djehanepoetry 28w

Cartoons

-
Cartoons put an emphasis on the main criterion of things.
They focus on the influence of Politics on people’s daily
Lives; they also highlight strengths and denounce flaws:
Should this fact be considered a lie, or is it the ultimate
Truth? Should it be encouraged and commended, or
Should its absurdity be denounced and condemned?
Is it intended for the benefit of the General Public, or
Is it solely meant for promoting self-interest?
A political cartoonist aims at elucidating matters: sorting
Truth from propaganda, separating the wisdom of things
From the fallacy of facade! Cartoons focus on the silly
Aspect of a situation: they magnify mistakes, showing
How ridiculous the human being could become, once
He allows pomposity to take over while hiding humble truth!
The moral of the story is: Do not take yourself seriously!
You will make a mistake whether you like it or not…
It must be difficult to produce a cartoon whose aim
Is establishing the truth: it is indeed a balancing act
Between that which is and that which is supposed to be…

© Djehane Hassouna, 2007

Rainbow of Emotions, page 85