“nahnu bukhair ya 3ayni”
mama choked up with tears again
gada speaking the t r u t h
“matha akhbar al Yemen?”
our future is the youth
“kayf ahwal al shabab?”
do they hear the thunder?
yaharaq damahum!
la3an abo al hootien!
what’s revealed in t.v
isn’t the worst gada has seen
“lo anti bukhair….
wallah ani bukhair ya binti”
she can hear the trauma
mama ears can see
we fear for them
but they fear for us
we’re living easy
and they’re trapped with the enemy
I can walk out in my backyard
without no care
while even in their homes
they await for the destructive burnt air
yet they smile and live
wa ahwalhum bukhair
bis yoom min ayam
arth al Yemen we’ll once again hear
***
Rhmha Hussein currently attends Queens College and published two poems in QC’s journal Comparative Outlet. She won 2nd place in a Common Read Poetry Contest in Queens Community College and was featured in QCC Holocaust Center for display. She also tutored students in a non-profit program called Reading Partners to enhance students reading skills.
Armstrong Literary 