Missing

I had wandered far

And after all

I found you

The thing that was never missing

The thing I refused to see

The missing piece was just me

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Image Credit HERE

2003 in History

They were barefooted

Running after the tanks

Men dressed the color of desert

Staring at the foreigner’s hands

Children waving

Glorious day

When they believed what the soldiers had to say

Freedom I long to know

Freedom they told me so

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Image Credit HERE

Letter to Baghdad| Short Poem

She swallowed the smoke and the bombs away

She exploded turning to shards that day

Baghdad I’m sorry for the burden you had to carry

Souls exploding and imploding that you bury

They don’t know the beauty that you used to be

The singing and dancing in your streets

The way the ground felt so safe and secure

Baghdad I don’t know you anymore

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Image Credit HERE

Truth Told

A memory that’s not yet old

Her, laying on my dorm room bed

Fever filling her head

Gun shots sounding closer and closer

Baghdad, what have we done?

I kiss her forehead, cover her with my blankets

Sister, what have we done?

I told her I have to step outside

But she couldn’t hear me

The small glass window was near me

And it was threatening to break

And everyone was screaming

I wished I’d been dreaming

But I thought I had to say my goodbyes

…

Sister we’ve come so far

This truth had to be told

Before our story got too old

And everyone forgot we existed

My Title

The child that stood on tip toes

Trying to see the men outside

Through bullet holes- I watched

Much too excited for change

“It will be beautiful, like America… like you see on TV.” One solider promised me

That was back in 2003

When ISIS was a nightmare yet to form

When angels wore uniforms

When enemies were clear to see

When I did not know the difference between you and me

But now my skin gives me a label I did not earn

Not a’Doctor’

‘Woman’

‘Rich’ nor ‘Poor’

I wear a title that I can not for the life of me shed

But that is a thing I dare not regret