Deadlines of killing

Nine months after the beginning of the Syrian revolution for freedom and dignity, and after thousands of dead and injured, and tens of thousands of detained and disappeared, the Arab league is still offering the bloody regime in Syria one deadline after another to stop the killing. The regional countries like Turkey are sending one warning after another and the international community is imposing one economical and political punishment after another. But obviously, the Syrian regime is not paying any attention to all that and keeps killing its citizens on a daily basis, believing that it is the only way to survive that revolution. From that background, came this poem.

Deadlines of killing

Every thing has an end

One deadline after another, after another

Wholesale deadlines, you will take them whether you agree or refuse

And why would you refuse them while

They, so far, are giving you the one chance after another to put down the revolution

And giving you one cover after another

To kill and oppress your people and unleash your monsters

The Arabic deadlines are the most generous

As soon as one is over, the next one arrive

Deadlines that have the brotherly spirit, the generosity and the taste of Manasseff (lamb stuffed with rice)

So, say (by the name of God) and take as much as you wish

Punishments were imposed on Maher, Rustom and Aaseff (top security officers)

But I don’t know how they snoozed on your (foreign) minister and your doctor (president)?

While the Turkish deadlines are sharper and more stormy

But they never crossed the borders, not even once

Those deadlines are also bitter, like the Turkish coffee

Didn’t they see you splashing them under your feet?

The foreign deadlines, on the other hand, provide you with coats

As your winter this year, as you know, is so cold

The foreign deadlines move with the speed of turtles

But, at the same time, practicing the proverb that says “I still like you even when I hate you”

Deadlines that have a lot of cautions and warnings

But which I don’t think you heard

Nothing strange about that, as the sound of cannons

And the roar of tanks must have put a hole in your eardrum

All the warnings make sense except the Russian’s

Their president warned yours of a “sad end”

His tears, on that day, were about to wet his dry face

And his nose extended until it exceeded all yours

And when it comes to the Iranian advises, we shouldn’t be amazed

Their president advised you to (use your brains)

He talked as if there are brains existing

In their heads or in yours!

He forgot that “He who doesn’t have something, can’t give it”

Beside, who else but him knows what is in your pockets?

“Birds of a feather flock together”

No wonder that his crows made friends with yours

I will be astonished if there is a single wise person who is still expecting fruits from you!

What are they expecting to harvest from your fields?

What is expected from you while everyone knows by now?

How you sold your lands and committed your massacres?

What is expected from those who tortured children?

We heard the story of Hamza (a 13 years old who was tortured to death) from your TV stations

And what is expected from those who burned the holy books?

We haven’t seen anyone shelling the churches and mosques except your forces

But, disregarding all that has happened

We will keep sending you deadlines, whether you like it or not!

Whether you accept them or you return them, you read them or you tear them up

We will send them and you can do whatever you want with them

Don’t let the ‘urgency’ of these deadlines scare you, as “critical” or “final”

These don’t really matter as long as all these deadlines are sent to help you!

***

Poetry by: Tarif Youssef-Agha

An expatriate Arab Syrian Writer & Poet

Houston, Texas

Friday December 9, 2011

http://sites.google.com/site/tarifspoetry