An extract from my 2007 diary, where I took my first (and only) shot at crafting a Shakespearean sonnet (at al-Baath University in Homs) —revised on 8 October 2024.
Homs –
On a stormy day, along the street,
I walked alone beneath the rain.
The wind, so fierce, swept through my feet,
While in my ears, cold echoed pain.
Disclaimer: “Amani” is a short sonnet I wrote in Arabic on 19 January 2007. The original version can be found below. | Image by Vika Glitter
Eastern Ghouta –
The years fold up our lives, retreating fast,
Our dreams may come to be—or may not last.
Adapted from my December 2006 Arabic diary. Image by Thomas Svensson
DAMASCUS –
Wake me when September ends—
since it arrived, our world has bled.
The forests in Haya’s green eyes caught fire,
and no rain could put out their pyre.
The springs of sweetness on her lips ran dry,
and even stone wept at such thirst nearby.
Written during the 2006 Lebanon War.
This poem is a literary and moral lament addressing war, occupation, and internal political decay.
It condemns violence and betrayal by states and regimes — not peoples, religions, or identities.The English version is an adaptation produced with the assistance of AI.
The original Arabic text appears further below.Image by Antoun Boustani
Wadi Barada —
My longing—I am the goldfinch’s cry,
By it the orchards green and rise.
Do not mistake my love for theirs:
Mine is the bloodline; theirs, a mare.
This piece is an English adaptation of a poem from my Arabic diary (2005),
developed with the assistance of AI. The original verse is included below.
Damascus —
Flore—
a flower born in France’s plains,
she speaks to me through seas and rains,
past countless isles and distant shores,
through harbors, tides, and open doors.
Her eyes are green with dreaming sight,
of justice framed in living light,
of freedom born at life’s first breath,
and carried on beyond all death.
Roumani Line 