Sudan, Muhammad A. Al Mahdi [read aloud books .TXT] 📗

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A free man

Let my spirit outlast

Reflection's assault

And temptations

And find back

Myself

In your eyes

Unbetrayed


[ Reviewed by Joselyn Mayfair 1/30/2006

You use such imagery and power and beauty combined in your poetry with powerful messages thank you for sharing this poem.


Reviewed by Nicole Davis Vergara 11/17/2005

Oh I must agree this was indeed wonderful to read. I could feel the strong passion you have for the Sudan, and it resounds beautifully here in your words!

~Nikki~


Reviewed by s h 11/16/2005

See how you touch so many people with your words. They are always so powerful, and what you wrote on the comment for my poem "Animal" about my father...meant a lot to me also. Thank you.


Reviewed by Regis (Reg) Auffray 11/15/2005

Your intimate relationship with your subject is powerfully revealed in your verses, Mahdi. Thank you for sharing this gift. Love and peace to you.

Reviewed by Nordette Adams 11/15/2005

Elegantly eloquent. I haven't read such words in a while, Muhammad. ~~Nordette


Reviewed by _ Aberjhani 11/8/2005

The SUDAN series gives voice to the soul of a land, a history, a people, and an overwhelming cosmic intention that floods the consciousness of the reader. Your pen honors your own poetic mission and those of whom it sings. ]


SUDAN 4 (Genesis)


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River Nile played the 'ud


For his love child


The Atbara


And on the shores of Suakin


Immortal Yemen's golden breath


Rose like a sun of francincense


Above the Nubian desert


That reached out in its longing


For the pearl-like eyes


Of Najd and Hejaz


Wide was the circuit


Of the Red Sea's rearing hand


Tot Anh


His rough callussed palm marked


By toil and ardour


With a rich sweeping gesture


Called man, the traveller


To his fires


And housed him


In his shade


Love then


Was a white sail


That spanned


All the land


Its soil was stainless


Sweet and pure


As camel milk


Enchanted warmth


Bore souls in abundance


And light


That was a barque accross the skies


Today


As love lies


In the chains


Of possession


Blood-coloured tears


Drench the dark heart's


Blue veins


Which errupted with suffering


And flooded the land


With wounds that are hidden


Behind laughter


With laments


That unleashed its songs


And with memories to which


The dawning age took refuge


To be borne


In its dances


Like in a well


So deeply concealed


That it shall not be


Submerged


The earth's tender skin


Cracks


Under the tearing step


Of heavy boots


Her children turned


Soldiers


Just a day after birth


And what


Shall I write


Of the dark continent?


Tongue-tied


Letter-bound


I ask


Too many questions


Awaiting finality


I ask eternity


Shyly:


Shall your heart


Memorise


This day?


"A bleached bone


In the sun"


Faituri said


Two dead doves


In my grave


And the undying


African night


[ Reviewed by s h 11/27/2005

Touching as your words always are.


Reviewed by E T Waldron 11/22/2005

This is a beautifully written heartfelt, sad poem.
"It takes two to tango"

Eileen ]


SUDAN 5 ('Ibada)


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When the whip tore my flesh


And cut my face in two


I said:


Ya Mawlay


I am yours, for it is YOU that created me


My life belongs to YOU


Because YOU are


Its origin


I asked not:


Why doest THOU punish me?


For


One does not ask a lover


The reason for his love


I said:


My Beloved is greater


Than world and universe


For HE is love ITSELF


And I am love through HIS love


I said:


I am YOU and nothing else


I'm a dog and the universe


And Mawlat Shukriya


I said:


Man sheds my blood


But man


Does not own it


My sweet dark singing blood


I said:


Grant me YOUR ecstacy


And the majesty


Of YOUR beauty


I said:


Let me enter


Into the state of no colour


I said:


Let me taste


Of the flower of extinction


And know that the whip, too


Has no clour


And smile


At the suffering


It inflicts


Let the stone thrown at me


Be the markaba of MY glory


And humiliation elevation


Let this dog, o my Lord


And sacred Lady of Protection


Mock his own vanity


And then raise me


This sacred creature


Upon the throne of fana'


Suddenly


And undeserved


O sacred lover of my spirit:


Man knows of no greatness


But YOURS


Return in mercy unto him who betrayed


His


Own


Heart


O ecstatic Lord


My trance of old


Descend upon this Arab son


Of sea's desert


And Africa's earth!


[ Reviewed by s h 12/6/2005

That was beautiful that no comment is good enough.


Reviewed by E T Waldron 12/2/2005

Such impassioned writing Mahdi, is a gift you have.
Reads like a poem of one devoted to their Creator


Reviewed by Regis (Reg) Auffray 12/1/2005

"Descend upon this Arab son
Of sea's desert
And Africa's earth!"
The whole poem reads like a passionate, prayerful plea; a powerful offering of faith that echoes across time and space. Thank you for sharing this gift, Mahdi. Love and peace to you.

Regis ]


Onitsha/Darfur 2006


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Call my heart


What you like


But do not turn it


Into a snake


Let it speak


Of its pain


But do not turn it


Into a prison


Don't cut off


Your own hand


With the sword


Of your tongue


Set aflame


By despair


For the knife stuck in your heart


Is not your heart


But a knife


That turns your pain


Against yourself


Your brother died


And his blood


Stains your hand


What is death?


What is pain?


What is poverty?


What is richness?


Who


Is the enemy?


Your are blood of my blood


You are soul of my soul


Light or dark--


Colour


Of my colour


And even your hand


That is raised


Against me


Who is you


Yes, yourself


Is a torch


In this night


And a perverted hope


And a message:


Africa


North and South


United


Is Africa


North and South


Free


[ Reviewed by Regis (Reg) Auffray 3/16/2006

Such a powerful and soul-reaching message, Mahdi. Thank you. Love, peace, and strength to you,

Regis


Reviewed by _ Aberjhani 3/8/2006

As much love as artistry and wisdom in this exceptional write. Oh that those who most need to might embrace these lines with their minds, hearts, and souls until the possibility they communicate becomes a reality to be celebrated.


Reviewed by Erin Kelly-Moen 3/8/2006

The mood of all mornings, anymore, echoes with your words, Muhammad A. Al Mahdi. You've pounded out a litany which can be applied to what seems like eternity, on this earth...

Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen ]


La wa la (No and No)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Sudan


My tears flow for you


My innermost


My Africa


Sudan


My heart bleeds for you


My scarlet cry


My dream


Sudan


My earth ripped open


Torn like the womb


Of paradise taken


In rape


My hope and my beauty


Savaged


And betrayed


Loved with a love that is


My pain


Let me scream out your beauty


Which is the last weapon


In my hand


When you have fallen, my love


I shall no longer be


Today they say the two world's shores can no longer embrace


Today the curse has been spread to the last haven of peace


Today, my jewel, you fall apart


Today you break as does my heart


Shall wrong be made right


And murder be justified


In my name?


Let others speak of their shame


I shall speak of my shame


In days ancient as my wounds


Two suns gave light to my heaven


Two fires brought forth time


Two moons


Set the lovers' hearts


Aflame


Two banners raised like


Civilisation itself


Named Africa


Arabia


And named glory


And radiance


Light and


Life-giving ray


O age of darkness


Unyielding as stone


O age of drought


Age of bleaching skulls


Devoured


By demons


Men shrunk to carcasses


Human souls shrunk


To raw meat


"Why?"


Asks the child


That was taken from me


And the child that I once was


Resurrected in the eyes


Of this child


La wa la!


My soul,