The Constitution and The Cleaver
We all heard about the new constitution the Syrian regime introduced lately. It is trying to convince the Syrian people to stop their revolution that started a year ago and cost so far tens of thousands of martyrs, injuries, detainees and missing persons. Every one knows that the constitutions in dictatorship countries, along with parliaments and governments, are for decoration purposes and have nothing to do with ruling.
The Constitution and the Cleaver
By Tarif Youssef Agha
They said this is the constitution
Therefore, stop your revolution and go back home!
We said dissolve it in water and drink the mixture
It may heal you from your stupidity and criminality
We didn’t elect you, but you ruled us with the cleaver
Therefore, by what right are you writing the constitution?
You are those who slaughtered Homs, Hama and Jisser Alshughour
Therefore, by what right are you writing the constitution?
You are those who dug thousands of graves for the people
Therefore, by what right are you writing the constitution?
You are those who bragged about the injustice you did
Therefore, by what right are you writing the constitution?
You are those who sold the Golan (heights) in order to live in palaces
Therefore, by what right are you writing the constitution?
You are those who burned all bridges with the people
Therefore, by what right are you writing the constitution?
Even if you swallow the pages of the Holy Quran
We will never believe you
No matter how many times you swear to God
Your pledges are not accepted any more
No matter how many promises you issue
Your promises are of no value any more
We don’t care how many constitutions you write
We will put them all in the garbage
Even if you bring back to life all those you killed
Still, we will not forget your massacres
Even if you returned all that you stole
Still, we will not forgive you
No matter how much reform you make
Still, we will not accept you
We can’t hear what you are saying anymore
As, for forty years, your bullets were flying around our ears
Your voices aren’t reaching us anymore
As, for forty years, your canons were exploding around us
We don’t understand language you are speaking anymore
As, for forty years, your were braying
We can’t breathe the breeze of your freedom
As, for forty years, we were breathing only the mold of your prisons
We can’t accept the dignity you are offering either
As, for forty years, we were drinking your cups of humiliation
We are sorry to tell you that
It is too late for you to give us any thing at all
Even if you offer us the whole world
We will tell you to keep it, we don’t want it
We only want one thing from you
Show us your back
This country is not big enough for both of us
It should be either the people or you
***
Poetry by: Tarif Youssef Agha
An expatiate Arab Syrian writer and poet
Houston, Texas
Saturday, February 25, 2012
http://sites.google.com/site/tarifspoetry