my great-grandmother was named after a girl who was
maimed and martyred.
betrayed by a friend, she was stolen from her home,
left to the whims of a
prideful pasha.
their names are Sol,
and they are the warmth that beams from Tangier's sun.
.
my grandmother was named after hers who was
blamed and battered.
hated by a neighbor, she was evicted from her home,
and remained with her
buried brethren.
their names are Rajmona,
and they are the wind that sweeps Melilla's shore.
.
my father was named after his great-grandfather who was
bruised and butchered.
found not-guilty by an official, his murderer moved into his home.
his death certificate left
spurned, spotless.
their names are Messoud,
and they are the rocks that form Oujda's mountains.
my great-grandmother, Soli
my great great-grandmother, Rajmona
my grandmother, Rajmona
my great great-grandfather, Messoud
my father, Messoud
(with his grandson, Messoud)
Wow so incredible! I love the overall message of this poem and how it traces your family's history through so many generations. It's weird because it should be a very sad poem, but it ultimately felt very strong. When you juxtapose how the next generation was named for the one that came before, and then go on to talk about the previous generation suffered, it felt very powerful because you subtly indicate that despite these terrible things, your family continued. One thing that I think would really bring this poem home is if you included yourself! I don't know if you were named for anyone but if you were and they have a story too then I think showing how the author of this poem is connected to this incredible chain of a family that survived so much is incredibly powerful and brings it into today in a very real way.
ReplyDeletethere is something so hopeless and heartbreaking in the way this poem is formatted and the subtle imagery-- especially the parallels to the family and the mirror like structure is so beautiful. i love the words you use and i love how much you conveyed through the use of so little words. great job!!
ReplyDeletewow this is amazing I love how your turned a hard past into a beautiful poem. As sad as this story was I loved hearing your families history and gaining gratitude for how lucky we are to live to so freely. The photos you included warmed my heart and made this poem so personal I just loved it. Just as Eliana said I agree, you should include yourself, the offspring of all these amazing fighters. I am not sure exactly how you could do this but it would be a very cool edition.
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