Napoleon’s Infancy / Jamal Juma

Once I had paper
I did not know how to use.
I covered it with blue sadness.

Once I had fingers
pointing to all, saying: Bang!
but nobody died.

Wild-goats of suffering running
in the field of pleasure.
I neither say cease, nor despise them.
I was created from clay
And molded by dullness
ever since I’ve been longing

for freedom of the mud.
I dislike the sun
because it dies daily
and dislike the sun
because it does not last long.

Once I had paper
I cut into little letters
and scattered into the wind,
but nobody responded.

when I passed by a stream
threw pebbles into it
and asked them not to scream.

I wanted to be a tree
but was slain by lovers.
I wanted to be rain
but was divided by rivers.
I am determined to be a human being
to divide the rivers
and to disarm the knife form the lovers’ hand.

Why it rains
Whenever I remember my hat?

Once I had paper
I made into hundreds of boats of desire,
but they sail merely in water of deprivation.

Once I had stars
I sent them beams of light
so they should never fade.

Once I had stars
I counted my tears in them
and I never reached the end.
I was born on the wing of cloud
I stumbled with the birds while I descended.
Ever since I’ve been leaning on my wing.

* Jamal Jumá is an Iraqi poet and researcher, born in Baghdad, and since 1984 lived in Denmark. Has Bachelor of Arts in Arabic Literature from University of Basrah and Cand.mag. in Semitic Philology from the University of Copenhagen. Now he is an Arabic literature lecturer at the Oriental Study Center of the University of Vilnius. His poetry work includes: Book of the Book and his texts that were used in A Handshake in the Dark; an anti-war choral piece by Michael Nyman,

Poem extracted from Jehat.com