Friday, October 3, 2008

Freedom of Sight

The woman peeked
through her prison of cloth
wondering what it would be like
to see the sunset
outside with her hair down.

A lifetime behind burkas,
freedom was a prayer
that Allah could not
seem to grant her,
and she willingly accepted.

The month of Ramadan
ensured her that
He would reward her someday,
and in death she could embrace
true exhaltation.

Faith stripped her of insight,
and though she felt the eyes of the world
upon her as her oppression grew
she was blessed with ignorance
for she did not understand.

Only when the Americans
came tromping through her city
did she began to realize that
one could watch the beauty
of the earth without a veil.

So she continued to pray,
that someday her
burka could be removed
and she too, could laugh
and cry in freedom.

Her children would go to school
and new possibilities would emerge.
So she sat outside sipping her chai
and watched the sunset
through covered eyes -

praying that one day
Allah would lift her soul
to the heavens above
and she would open her eyes
fully for the very first time.

4 comments:

White Rose said...

So beautiful! I'm actually reading a book on what it is like for women in Saudi Arabia.

It is so hard for me to comprehend. Their religion is so prominent in all aspects of their life. Sometimes I get frustrated reading it, because what I feel is wrong, may not be what they consider wrong.

PrinceofDarkness said...

Jackie, the only thing that hit me was how to sip tea while wearing a burka... is it possible?

Jackie said...

Scott -

Yes, but they have to put the tea under the Burka - I experienced this in AF - CRAZY.

White Rose,

Thanks always for your comments, I would love to know what the book is!

PrinceofDarkness said...

I figured that would be the answer...