Me and My Muezzin

Cherry

By Turlough

Sat, 21 Oct 2023
  • 1180 reads
14 comments
 

 

Standing alone

As cold as the tons of steel

That carry me

This floating granary

A United Nations gift of guilt

For gaping mouths

On the bottom shelf

Of a bare-shelved continent

 

Gliding through still waters

The sweetness of the Bitter Lakes

As black as this Egyptian night

Tranquillity between two seas

Look out for danger, I'm told

Wishing for eyes more beady

Not your usual teenage symptom

Of body image insecurity

 

But I am safe

With my trusty walkie-talkie

And binoculars

The sixth best pair on the ship

Far behind my lonesome post

Polo necks with mugs of cocoa

Waiting for that alarm call

What if I don't call?

 

Only chattering teeth disturb the silence

And bow waves lapping on the shores

I sing The Rising of the Moon

But it doesn't

Yearning for that danger

Just a little to keep me awake

Perhaps an Arabian pirate ship

With a flask of tea

 

Imagine Haydar Ghazi

All flashing eyes and teeth

His bloody scimitar scythes

A great scarlet gash in the eastern sky

Reveals a mosque and sacred dome

Sudden silhouettes

Something to see at last

Good morning Sinai

 

From a minaret a muezzin’s call

A haunting song broadcast

On a mystical wavelength

Invites me to another world

Words I'll never understand

But a beckoning reminder

Of Angelus bells in my childhood

Enchantment chills me more

 

Daylight comes, brings horror

Manifestations of a recent war

Expose themselves on Suez banks

Rusty tanks and fighter jets

Dredged to clear the morbid depths

Fill gaps between village embers

People died here, families wept

Fleeing torrents of fear and hate

 

Saltwater wells in teenage eyes

Things they'd only ever seen

In cosy television lounges

Reality hitting hard and fast

In the time it took the sun to rise

On darkness that would always stay

I crave to go back to the dawn

It was beautiful then

 

Image:

Every image I use is from a photograph I have taken myself. 

On this occasion - A couple of mosques I chanced upon near to the city of Yaz’d one morning in 2011 whilst on a group tour of Iran.

Certificate U
Poem
Poetry in Commotion
Travel
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

We can and do stand alone. More is the pity when there is no pity. That's when the killings begin. 

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Aye, almost fifty years ago it seemed to me that things were getting better. But no!

Thanks very much for the cherries.

Turlough

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Plus ca change (a phrase I've used more than once recently). Beautiful and very deserving of those cherries - thank you Turlough - and please write about your Iran trip. Not many people go on holiday to Iran!!!

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Ah oui! Certainement!

I've a huge list of places and things to write about. It's the prioritising I'm struggling with. 

But I will.

And thank you.

Turlough

Submitted by MJG on

beautifully done from teen point of view

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you very much. It was a long time ago but it stayed clear in my memory.

Turlough

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

You conjure the adventure, danger and determination to be committed to the job. 

You certainly write some evocotive memories Turlough.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you very much Jenny for the kindness of your words.

Turlough

Submitted by marandina on

"The sixth best pair on the ship" - such precision :)

An evocative journey steeped in imagery. I too would love to read more about Iran. Adriotly done, sir.

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you very much Paul.

Operation Write About Iran about to be launched.

Turlough

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

The last two lines catch the contrast of delight in beauty, and the sadness of tragedy, hatred and damage. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you for your comment Rhiannon. 

I try not to appear negative but when I look around me now I feel that most things in the world aren't as good as they were when I was a teenager and, in some cases, they're drastically worse.

Turlough

Submitted by David Kirtley on

Great poem, with impressions of Egypt, and the Arab and muslim world, and memories of Arab and Israeli conflict! It is a shame they have not been able to find peace or fairness.

Submitted by Turlough on

The situation is complete and utter disaster David, the likes of which has never happened before in my lifetime. At times like this it's hard to prevent the world's negativity rubbing off on me. Turning a blind eye, supporting one side of or the other or sending weapons, in my opinion, will help nobody. Though my own sympathy swings more in one direction than the other I feel desperately sad for both.

Thank you for reading and commenting. It's lways greatly appreciated.

Turlough