Friday, December 9, 2011

Our So Secure Future


This poem was written on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of my Ramallah Family Convention - American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine.  

On Thursday night, I watched a young child whose eyes did flow
Flow with the beat of the tubla as his eyes did glow
I commented to a cousin standing near
That I see something in this child’s ear
He had a musical sense
He had a rhythmic presence
As soon as I completed my thought
To the center stage he was then brought
Taking the tabla, his hands did take command
He started playing and the crowd gave him a hand
You see this is what our Conventions are all about
Feeding culture to our children through a spout
We make the atmosphere conducive
And hope that our heritage will continue to live
To me this was the highlight
Seeing our culture in this bright
Bright six year old child who is so pure
For within him our future is so secure

On Friday night, a show was put on by the shabab of Cleveland
In the lobby of the Dearborn Hyatt they kicked up the band
The tubla and the flute did set the tone
The music filled the atmosphere so passionately known
Ramallahites listened and praised them with merit
As these children of Ramallah did exalt the spirit
That is what brings us to our Ramallah Conventions
That is what rejuvenates our spirits for our traditions
To see teenagers singing
As our musical instruments they are playing
Fills us with pride and joy all around
Making us happy that our future is so sound
Sound in our elders’ mind
Secured in that our traditions do bind

On Saturday, I saw fifty years in front of my eyes
Those Wayne State students truly knew the prize
The prize of our family’s unity
The prize of our family’s continuity
They may have foreseen ahead 50 years
I am sure Farid Shatara has happy tears
He looked down Thursday night upon that child
And I am sure his smile was rather mild
Then on Friday. upon the Cleveland shabab he glanced
And his smile must have beamed as I am sure he danced
Danced with a song in his heart
Because he must have know in his heart
That these young men and this little Ramallahite
Would one day provide him a smile so bright
Bright enough and so pure
That in his mind his Ramallah family’s future is so secure

                                    Fadi Zanayed
                                    Sunday, July 6, 2008


(  © Copyright, Fadi Zanayed.  Publication or distribution of this material is allowed provided its content is not altered and the source and its author are cited.)

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