A few poems in honor of a “great man”


Dedicated to the “great man” on the occasion of the “Great War”


-I-


Congratulations, sir.
Congratulations.
Congratulations,
                     and many heart-felt felicitations
                                            on this glorious and memorable occasion.

On this very day,
                   more than twenty years ago,
                                    you brought honor
                                                     to your nation.
   On this very day
                     you fought valiantly
                                       against the enemy,
                                                                  and your defeat
                                                                             was not easy.
         We are rightfully made
           to celebrate this feat,
                 every year.

     On this very day
                       you stood alone
                                       against the world
                                                   without fear,
                                                           or consternation.
            And you fought on
                                       and on
                                               with little,
                                                       or no hesitation.
                                                                              And your defeat
                                                                                              was not easy.
         We are rightfully, indeed,
           made to celebrate this feat,
                 every year.
                   Every year.

Many brave men died then,
                                   naturally.
   Many mothers grieved,
                   children orphaned.
                           Buildings destroyed.

                   
But you lived on, sir.
    And you live on still,
                                   a symbol of glory,
                                       a symbol of victory,
                                                                   with a new twist,
                                                                              a novel connotation.
                                           For your defeat
                                                               is not easy.
                                                No.
                                                     Your defeat is not easy.
         We all rightfully have to
           commemorate this feat
                 every year.
                   Every year.

For truly, sir,
          truly,
              truly,
                       you are the pride
                                            of your nation.


-II-


You were an idealist, sir.
Once,
     at the very beginning
                         of your career,
                                       you were an idealist.
         I am sure of it, sir.
           I am sure of it.

Once,
       not too long ago,
                       you actually managed
                                    to accomplish something.
                        You actually managed
                                              to inspire hope, sir,
                                                                     at least
                                                                            in some of us.

And you believed
                  in what you were doing,
                       and that is the most important point, sir,
                                you actually believed
                                                in what you were doing.
                                                              Perhaps with all your heart, sir.
                                                                           Perhaps with all your heart.
         I am sure of it, sir.
           I am sure of it.

Then,
     something must have happened, sir.
         Something must have happened
                                                        to you, sir.
                                                          Inside of you, sir.
             Something deviant.
                Something evil.
                      Something all-too-human
                                           and all-too-bad.
                            Something that switched on
                                                         the devil in you,
                                        and turned you absolutely mad,
                                                                                with greed,
                                                                                     with thirst,
                                                                                            with lust.
         Yes. With lust, sir.
           Oh, yes. With lust.
And now,
          now you make love to tyranny
                                           every day.
            And you hate the world,
                                    the forever rebellious,
                                                      uncontrollable world,
                                                                             every day, sir.
                                                                               Every day.
                                                                                 Every humbling,
                                                                                              shaming,
                                                                                                 back-breaking day.
         And I pity you for it, sir.
         Oh yes, I do.
         Oh yes, I do.
         I pity you.


-III-


You are intelligent, sir.
Oh, yes.
    You are intelligent,
        you are intelligent,
                         you are wise.
             You know how to disguise
                                               the facts
                                                        so well,
                      and tie a colorful blindfold
                                                   around our willing eyes.
Oh, yes.
        You are wise, sir.
   Oh, yes. You are wise.

You taught us well
                  how to uncover
                                  sublime truths
                                    in your most obvious lies,
                             and praise all your devilish deeds
                                                                        that spelled the demise
                                                                                             of our freedom,
                                                                                                of our innocence.
                                                                                                     Of our innocence.
And by baptizing us
           with our own cold sweat,
                      you showed us well
                                how to sacrifice
                                           everything we have
                                                           in this world,
                                                                for a single
                                                                        fiendish
                                                                            smile of approval
                                                                                       breaking out
                                                                                           of your blood-soaked
                                                                                                                           lips.



October 1995


Note: Syrians and Syria experts would probably have managed to guess the identity of the “Great Man” after the first few lines. It is indeed the late Syrian President, Hafiz Al-Assad. The “Great War” in question is the October War of 1973.