STIRRINGS
A poem by Ibtisam Barakat
I thank the women
who came before me,
who as they stirred sugar into tea
and lemon into lentil soup
had stirrings of freedom
in their chests. . .
Some spoke of that,
and some served the food
silently. . .
But all the longing
conquered the long road,
fed the ground,
until it grew strong
for me now to stand on it. . .
Stand my ground,
stand,
walk,
and run my ground
as a master
of my spirit . . .
who came before me,
who as they stirred sugar into tea
and lemon into lentil soup
had stirrings of freedom
in their chests. . .
Some spoke of that,
and some served the food
silently. . .
But all the longing
conquered the long road,
fed the ground,
until it grew strong
for me now to stand on it. . .
Stand my ground,
stand,
walk,
and run my ground
as a master
of my spirit . . .
Note: STIRRINGS poem has been published by MOBIUS, the Poetry Magazine, 2012, USA, and also in FOKUS magazine (Forum of Women and Development) in Oslo, Norwary 2013. If you do not read Norwegian, you can download the magazine focused on resistance and voices of Women in the Middle East, Ibtisam's work is on pps 29 - 40 (Stirrings poem) and 37 - 40 (Cartoon about the Egyptian Palriam-Men). The photo is of the painting "Three Women" by Ibtisam Barakat.