Bobble Braids (Poetry Poems) in English & Arabic Languages

By Sabah Michael Yacoub

The year is 2003. Parents rejoice as their new baby enters the world. Everyone is happy, trilling all around. The drums are beating, the singing grows louder, and the sweetest melodies are sung. This is the tradition of Mesopotamia at the appearance of the firstborn son. But eventually, smiles will fade into groans and joy into heartbreaks as parents wish that the Creator had not blessed them with this new creature. What will they do with this new child who turned joy into regret? What will they do after deviating from the right path and treading the unknown waters.

Feelings of remorse among human beings could be reflected on various aspects of life. A person may yearn for a job, then regret it after a short while, and cling to move on to another one. Another may feel frustrated after emigrating to a second country and wish to return to his motherland.

After 2003. There are those who rejoiced at the change that occurred. Their tidings quickly turned into disappointment after values declined and chaos prevailed throughout the country.

History tells us that the land of Mesopotamia has been plagued by multiple destructive waves. The people managed to recover after each crushing wave. The current wave is nothing but a setback, followed by an awakening, sooner or later, for Iraq to be once again proud of the treasure of its civilization and the authenticity of its people.

Hanging from the poetic words of the Bobble Braids are four poems that reflect the reality of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in particular, and what happened in the country, in general, after the international occupation in 2003.

Hanging from the poetic words of the Bobble Braids are four poems that reflect the reality of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in particular, and what happened in the country, in general, after the international occupation in 2003. Two poems tell of the valor of the Iraqi army yesterday and its failure today. Two poems mock the conflict of nomenclature between the descendants of the Chaldean and Assyrian civilization. Three poems deal with the contradictions of life that are practiced at the level of the individual or the group.
Two poems deplore the uncivilized style that some people follow during the discussion.
One poem addresses the mute, whose disability will not stand in the way of his creativity.
Six poems review the positive or negative role a person or institution has played during a particular era. And four poems lament the separation of loved ones who have traveled to the second life. The last two poems express the human feelings that are framed by the fragrance of flowers and the sweetness of the words of love.

The twenty-six poems crystallize a personal vision of many aspects of life. Some may agree with part or all of them, and others may reject that. This is a fact of life that must be fully accepted.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669821496

Sabah Michael Yacoub

Sabah Michael Yacoub was born in Iraq from a Chaldean family. He descended from the native inhabitants who entered Christianity in the era of St.Thomas the Apostle, one of the Twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. He graduated from Baghdad Medical School and received a higher degree from the United Kingdom. He spent years of his life practicing his specialty of internal medicine and cardiology. He moved from Baghdad to the United Kingdom after the Allied invasion of Iraq. Then he migrated to North America, traveling between Canada and the United States. Despite his scientific background, he has a deep inclination toward knowledge culture in general and toward poetry in particular. He started poetry writing during high school, but left his beautiful hobby only to return back to it recently. Sabah was inspired by the tragic circumstances that have afflicted his motherland and by the injustice, displacement, and abuse of Christians, Sabians, and Yazidis minorities, as expressed in the two poetry quartets Tragedy: How Often and How Much? currently in print, and Flashes of the Present Pain, that is in your hands now. Additionally, Sabah writes on various topics in his mother tongue on ankawa.com, alqosh.net, and some magazines and newspapers produced in the diaspora. His main interests are watching sports, especially soccer, and participating in various cultural and educational activities. He also loves collecting used books, especially religious and historical ones.

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Copyright © 2022 by SABAH MICHAEL YACOUB.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/02/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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All pretend to praise their Almighty Lord

Though grudges rise in their heart like a sword

Promises of prosperity and abundant good,

but the people are tired of words and the rule of the foreign agents.

Dedication

To all who seek a society in which the individual devotes his efforts to the happiness of others.

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Contents

Prologue

Acknowledgment

Sorry Tigris and Euphrates

It’s a Slump

Alas, Army of Championships

Have Mercy Army of the Immortals

Parliamentary Repercussions

Electoral Suffering

Ridiculous Nomenclature

Falsification of History

Silence is the Master of Speech

Hypocrisy of Words

Contrasting Practices

Weapon of Insults

Thank you, Ankawa website

Creativity of the Mute

Not an Advice

Informational Prologue

Weeping Whispers

Urgent Telegram

You Are Like Agate

Lament Who Does Not Deserve Lamentation

A Star Departed

Harvest of Death

Death Culture

Mother’s Death

Garden Flowers

Seed of Survival

About the Author

Author’s Publications

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Prologue

My first poetic attempt was penned in the late fifties of the last century, during my final years in high school.

I set the pen aside when I entered medical school, but I did make some intermittent attempts on specific occasions and under the patronage of the church.

I picked up the pen again at the beginning of the second decade of the current century and continued to publish regularly on both alqosh.net and ankawa.com under the name Sabah Kyya, along with modest contributions to literary festivals organized annually by The Chaldean Cultural Salon (Forum) in Windsor, Ontario and the solidarity ceremony arranged jointly by The Chaldean Voice Radio and Family Adoption Program in Detroit, Michigan.

I feel a special yearning to write poetic quartets. Perhaps, I was inspired when I started to knock on the door of poetry. I was introduced to the famous poetry quartets "Epic, Where Is My Right? of the late Iraqi poet Mohammad Saleh Bahr Aluloom and other poetry quartets titled Incantations" by the late Lebanese Immigrant poet Elia Abu Madi.

I issued my first quartets entitled Tragedy How Often and How Much? and my second quartets entitled Flashes of Present Pain in Arabic, matched by my non-literal translation into English of both quartets, while preserving the meaning.

I am pleased to place in the hands of the honorable reader my third modest product, entitled Bobble Braids, which includes twenty-six poetic poems in Arabic, accompanied by my non-literal translation into English as well, without prejudice to the meaning.

Last but not least, it is a blessing gifted by the Creator to anyone who grows a charming flower from a bud planted in a field not of his specialty.

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Acknowledgment

I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to the magical touches that added a wonderful luster to the pages of the book through the expressive illustrations penned by the fine art of my classmates at the College of Medicine - University of Baghdad, Dr. Ferial Alsikafi, Dr. Sulafa Roumaya, and Dr. Nazar Azoo. Also, to the designer and fine artist graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, Suhad Alturayhi, whose paintings can be enjoyed on her web page www.sueturayhi.com/store, and to the fine artist graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, Werda Ishak. I also thank my younger brother, the fine artist graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, Tariq Mikhael Yacoub. To my daughter, the emerging fine artist and university student Hiba, and my niece, the emerging fine artist and high school student,