Write What You Are Not

Write about what you are not.

I'm not afraid!

by Asmaa N. Al-Nassr

I’m not afraid! The name of the song that I never understood.  Everyone is afraid from something it might be the past or future.

Walking in the night alone at that moment you just feel someone is following you, with no hesitation running all the way up the stairs. I ask myself why? And the answer is always “I’m afraid”.

I’m not…

I’m not waiting for you anymore—it’s nothing personal.

I’ve never done this before—I’m not happy about it.

I’m not on the verge of discovery—I’m not looking for anything.

I’m not telling you—it’s a secret.

I’m not real—I’m a figment of your imagination.

I’m not coming up with anything original—it’s all been written before.

I’m not concentrating—there are too many people talking.

I’m not doing anything useful with my time—I’m writing a poem.

I’m not going to let go—it’s the last one.

I’m not alone—you’re here with me.

I’m not going to say this again—I’m not.

I Am Not

by Shafia K. Al-Mohannadi

I am not a person who stands by, a person who neglects, too much. I am not high up in the cloud nor am I buried down by the weight of things. Just things, never ask what are the things because I am not answering.

I am never an underachiever,

On no account a cheater,

In no way I am a disbeliever.

Give me anything and I will not not give back. I’m not going to run around telling lies; I’m not spending the rest of my existence thinking of what I could be yet doing absolutely nothing.

I am not a zombie fighter, regrettably. Can I make a headshot? No.

I am not

by Saeeda Mu'azu

I am not a snub, but my eyes tell the world the opposite

I am not weak, nor am I strong

I am not a woman. However, I think like one

I am not rich with money but rich with love

I Am Not

by Ahmad Alony Hamed

I am honest but I have been dishonest

I am blunt, but not the cruelest

I am willing, but I am not easy

I am nervous, but not awfully

I am powerful, but I am not corrupt

I am a bird, but cannot fly,

But being a bird

What good am I?

Exquisite Corpse Haiku Chain

According to Wikipedia, an exquisite corpse is "a method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled," and that was this week's activity. We used that process to engineer a haiku chain.

by Asmaa Al-Qaysi, Bob Marcacci & Saeeda Mu'azu

afternoon writing
words fly slowly off
the page to heaven

a view of the beach
white birds flying

Far away destinations
But will return home

to greet your crying mother
lost in the garden

of the queen of hearts
where the soul is lost

__

The world is green
Or so I was thought
But I don't see that

Painting is a waste of time
It is creation

my son tells me he loves me
I say the same thing

I am in love with you
with white glossy eyes

Why did you choose this color?
I can't imagine
__

Waking up at dawn
to the sound of the adhan*
slowly out of bed

coffee a faraway place
someone leads me home

down the path of hatred
where all is dark

I sit alone without you
Staring at the wall.

in the middle of a wood
who placed those stones there?

* As described in Wikipedia, "the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin."

Write about "Last Year"

Write about "last year." What happened, what was it like, how you were different, how did you change--whatever you remember or thought about it.

Last year I was driving a black Kia Sorento
too fast off-road over rocks and dunebashed!
It broke down somewhere near sealine,
was towed home to be fixed and eventually sold.

Last year I realized that I will never write
English the way a native speaker does!
Writing in Arabic might be a better choice!

Last year was my second year at ABP
as Special Assistant to the Director.

Last year I traveled to Jordan, Italy , Austria and Sweden.
On the way back flew 35000 feet over Iraq,
crossed over Diar Bakr in the north , Baghdad, Hilla , Najaf
all the way to Basra in the south.
that was the closest I can be to home.

Last year I was 41
found some old friends on facebook.
painted almost every night.
It went by so fast.

Last year is not much different from this year, or so it seems in January 2013.

Last year I was told that it would be...

by Abdelrahman Kamel

Last year I was told that it would be the end of the world, but today life is still going on. To think that people actually thought that a 1000-year-old calendar made by humans can tell something even prophets didn’t know is  a bit funny. To see the look on people’s faces and how they panicked even though they knew this day is eventually coming is mind-numbingly interesting. Last year I knew that a smile can make a lot of difference. For the days when I reach out my hands to the rain and all of what I get is tears, those are the days when I have more than enough reason to say "thank you." Last year I learned that education is not about money, it’s about the journey and the people you meet throughout this journey. How you affect them and how they changed you. I knew that when we live life and see the world around us what we are really doing is telling a story about ourselves the the people that we meet and the world around us. The characters in that story are the people and how you can place their lives and their community in a broader context. When I was in school I thought that I will never miss school. I thought that I hated it so much that hugging a hedgehog would be better than going to class.

Last Year I Learnt

by Saeeda Mu'azu

Last year I learnt to be independent 
Last year I learnt what we want is not really what is right for us 
Last year I learnt teachers aren't monsters
Last year I learnt to love writing 
Last year I learnt to love and cherish every second I breathe

Last Year

We haven't smoked since we returned from our vacation.

In the last year, Angela, Vito and I traveled to Italy

(twice in the summer by air through Rome and Bari airports,

and then by my brother-in-law Pino’s car to Putignano),

Qatar (our current country of residence), Switzerland

(where we met Christina and Danilo last Winter

and both Angela and I started smoking again),

Sri Lanka (where we snorkeled with Anna and Dan),

the United Arab Emirates (once in the Spring

to attend TESOL Arabia in Dubai with some of my ABP colleagues

and a second time to Dubai at the end of October

when my parents were visiting from Reno, Nevada),

the West Coast of the United States (between trips to Italy,

we rented a car and took a road-trip up the coast

from San Francisco, California to Portland, Oregon

where we met Josh), and most recently

Vietnam (where Angela, Vito and I spent

our Christmas and New Year's holidays).