Poetry: Ahmad Al-Khatat

In the Cemetery

In the cemetery, I was standing on my knees,
reading verses of the holy book to the tombs

I was praying with tears on my cheeks
until the graveyard stopped me and asked me if

I was reading verses or reading sorrows
with an emotionless face, he asked to repeat

I started reading again and, his face was getting
red as his eyes were dropping my unrhymed tears

he stopped me with anger and screamed out
why more grieves, why more death, and less peace

I responded to him, why did hope sold us to traitors
why life is struggling with us, why did the wars rape us shamelessly

we cried together as he was saying that he’s listening to
spirits weeping with us, as the clouds will rain again

he asked me again, why our world is no longer bright
instead, it’s full of darkness and lots of bloody cuts

our grandparents were the farmers, who lift the sunshine
and brunt themselves to death, just to protect the seeds

our mothers stole the moon from the wall of the night
they hid in their coffins and the stars after our fathers

turned the rainbow into a solider in the zone of death
and made the snow into a drinkable water to survive 

Inside of My Dream

Inside of my dream
there’s a bird flying
from one nest to an-
-other, without wings

Inside of my dream
there’s a man holding
a sign that says, I
have serious cancer

Inside of my dream
there’s one refugee
with tears of grief
because he lost hope

Inside of my dream
there’s a young lady
smoking, and waiting
for the train to suicide

Inside of my dream
there's a black cat
staring at me, and
waiting to the end of my dream

Adoption

When I was a teenager
I donated to a little orphan
since then I made a vow that
I would adopt her, and marry her

Days go by and nights come
I learned how to hurt myself
by doing bad habits that will
guide me to die below the bridge

I lost count of my harmful cuts
I lost all the joyful memories and
moments from weeping beneath
the lights of the miserable bar

My mother thought that I was well,
As my smile hid the tears that
damaged my physical therapist
within minutes after hearing me

I lost many chances and luck
until I met a broken heart,
she cried when she knew that I
found what was missing of me

I found her
between all of my poetry
between all of my cigarette smoke
I tried to lose her
as I saw my shadow following her

Ann you didn't adopted a regular girl
you have definitely raised one angel
that showed me life with colours
From your love and care for my princess

the grief inside of me has smiled when
your daughter kissed my salty lips and
wiped my tears, hopefully she will
close my eyes after my smiling face rests. 

My Biography

Ahmad Al-Khatat, was born in Baghdad, Iraq on May 8th. He has been published in several press publications and anthologies all over the world and has poems translated in several languages. He has published two poetry books “The Bleeding Heart Poet” and “Love On The War’s Frontline” which are available on Amazon. Most of his new and old poems are also available on his official page Bleeding Heart Poet on Facebook.

Setu, December 2018