Salvage the Youth
Location
This poem does contain footnotes on the bottom that may be used for clarification since there are many obscure references.
SALVAGE THE YOUTH
Fast, fared it, immigrant’s dream??…
Born, not royalty, but ascends the throne to be queen.
City beat, city screen, not a picture perfect life but well within means.
Struggle, work, dreams for this child. Her generation will be more than that.
Desires for the girl. Is this what it’s valued at?
The child she once was. “Everything we had hoped”
With a new change, how will it cope?
Jasmine,1. Green.2. Peace. Civil. Heaven
Science ended. December 18, 3. January 25th, 2011.4.
Blossomed overnight and took the world by storm
With that came a girl of her own form.
Liberate the world, but change her mind.
Take the path of freedom, but watch its demise.
Youth can come, with it, the love.
10 years she’ll wait for him. Peace is the dove.
The sea, the blue eyes with it, back to his home.
But left her with more to call her own.
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Geldim Sevdim 5.
It’s all fine. This girl who knew nothing wishes divine.
Kurdistan.6. The dream. More than a scared Halloween.
The world, the news, Iraq through a screen
“El Donia Helwa” 7. Nancy 8. sings.
But listen to Ebi. 9. His message rings.
The Syrian cry, the Refugee child, a Brotherhood president10.
Once again, this circle, this hell. How do I turn my back on my brother, a world resident?
Ignore it we must. In God, we trust.
Yet religion, race, and a face mean more to us.
A video, a cry, a dead diplomat.
If that’s not enough, go a little north.
Unheard problems, the Aral Sea 11. dries up, dams come forth.
But enough, back to the girl, back to her dream!
This picture is no longer serene
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Overnight, a child no more.
The girl turned woman. What else is in store?
Stares on alert, a talk through the town.
Beauty, knowledge, fear of their frown.
Society chains, but he does not grip.
Takes his hand and feels her hip.
A kiss on the lip, a mark on the heart
A new feeling to experience, how to depart?
It’s time to leave, Move! Go to the city of faith.
Still, she wanted more, but wait!
2013, Gezi, 12. Tahrir, 13. The antithesis of gain.
That’s it. Khalas! 14. Why can’t we break the chain?
Arafat, 15. my love. Rabin, 16 .my heart??
Time to go away. She must depart.
Goodbye my family and embrace the new tale.
The tears of blood here are way out of scale.
1. Jasmine- The name of the Tunisian Revolution, Alternate name for the Arab Spring
2. Green- Series of protests following the disputed 2009 Iranian presidential election
3. December 18- December 18th, 2010. The beginning of the Tunisian revolution after Mohammed Bouazizi was self-immolated.
4. January 25th 2011- Beginning of the Egyptian Revolution
5. Geldim Sevdim- Turkish for “I came, I loved”
6. Kurdistan - a mountain and plateau region in Southeastern Turkey, Northwestern Iran, Northern Syria and Northern Iraq and Armenia: inhabited largely by Kurds and is a source of modern contention.
7. El Donia Helwa- Life is Sweet in Arabic, It is also the title of song by Nancy Ajram
8. Nancy- Nancy Ajram- Internationally renowned Lebanese Arabic Singer and Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF
9. Ebi- Exiled Iranian singer, Ebrahim Hamedi, who is a political & peace Activist
10. Brotherhood President- Mohammed Morsi, Ousted Muslim Brotherhood Egyptian leader as of 2013
11. Aral Sea- A lake lying between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in Central Asian
12. Gezi- A park in Istanbul that was the location of the May 28, 2013 Protests
13. Tahrir- A major public square in Cairo, Egypt known for holding numerous demonstrations including the January 25th 2011 revolution
14. Khalas!- Arabic word for “Enough” or “Stop”
15. Arafat- Yasser Arafat Palestinian leader that held negotiations with the government of Israel to end the Israel-Palestine conflict
16. Rabin- Yitzhak Rabin Assassinated Prime Minister of Israel that won a Nobel Prize with Arafat for peace keeping operations