Faleha Hassan Iranian also shares poems and biographies published by Elisa Massia from San Giuliano di Puglia-Campopazzo, living in the US.

Photo by Cartesia in Faleha Hasan

Faleha Hassan.
He is a poet, editor, teacher, writer and playwright, born in 1967 in Najab, Iraq, now living in the United States. Faleha was the first woman to write poetry for children in Iraq. He has a master’s degree in Arabic literature and has published 26 books to date, his poetry has been translated into English, Turkmen, Bosnian, Hindi, French, Italian, German, Kurdish, Spanish, Korean, Greek, Serbian, Albanian, Pakistani. Romanian, Malayalam, Chinese, Odia, Nepali and Macedonian languages. It is a 2018 Pulitzer Prize nomination, a 2019 Bushcart Prize nomination.
Member of the International Association of Writers and Artists.
Winner of SJ Magazine’s 2020 Women of Inspiration Award,
Grand Jury Prize Winner (Sahito International Literary Prize 2021)
One of the best women 2023 exam groups
Winner of the 2023 Women’s Art Award
Membro di Whos’ Who in America 2023
Sahito Prize, Jury 2023
Vincitrice del premio HerStory Award della Women’s Federation for World Peace New Jersey 2024
Cultural Ambassador – Iraq, USA since 2018
Cultural ambassador and global literary consultant PEN CRAFT Bangladesh
Email: [email protected]

A refugee complains
it means what?
What if Columbus didn’t discover America?
I play hide and seek with my daughters.
This afternoon we gathered around a plate of cardamom scented tea
and pastries
like my brother
We are sure that we are waiting for him,
Knocking lightly on the door, “Is anyone home?” he asked.
We laughed over and over at the jokes my students told me at school.
Incense scents the room.
If Columbus had not discovered America,
I will not close the windows of my apartment.
To avoid opium fumes coming out of the neighbor’s pipe
from polluting it.
If he doesn’t find it.
I love the smell of bread baking every morning
No more walking through the woods to Walmart
Then, buy some bread and cheese
I asked my son: “Will you come with me? do you want?”
He says: “I’m afraid to walk in the forest.”
So, I walk there alone.
If Columbus had not discovered America,
I won’t take two trains and a bus to get to my university
Come back the same way.
I will take a mini bus
It gets me where I want to go.
If Columbus had not discovered America,
I would have slept through the night, dull with the breath of my children;
I wouldn’t have suffered from the insomnia that plagues me here.
If he doesn’t find out,
I get my poetry collection a month after its release.
Instead of waiting an entire year for three copies to arrive in the mail.
If he doesn’t find out,
I’m not going to shelter from Hurricane Sandy for three days
Using all the energy he had gathered, he tried to tear off the roof of my apartment.
where is the wind
I was keeping the tiles from coming down with my prayers.
E. . .
God, when can I rest?
For twenty years I have fought on many fronts.
But no victory was in sight, not yet.

…………….

I cried with the dove,
The dogs chased me,
I shed tears
Wrapped myself in poetry against fear and cold.
I have suspended my days on the hooks of patience
It will definitely go down.
I drowned in the raindrop of asceticism
I swallowed the treacherous cup again and again
E. . .
A warrior has no time to rest!

In Faleeha Hasan

Faleha Hassan.
He is a poet, editor, teacher, writer and playwright, born in 1967 in Najab, Iraq, who now lives in the United States. Faleha was the first woman to write poetry for children in Iraq. He has a master’s degree in Arabic literature and has now published 26 books, his poetry has been translated into English, Turkmen, Bosnian, Indian, French, Italian, German, Kurdish, Spanish, Korean, Greek, Serbian, Albanian, Pakistani. Romanian, Malayalam, Chinese, Odia, Nepali and Macedonian. He was Pulitzer Prize Nominated 2018, Pushcart Prize Nominated 2019.
Member of the International Association of Writers and Artists.
Winner of Woman of Excellence Inspiration Award from SJ Magazine 2020,
Grand Jury Prize Winner (Sahito International Award for Literature 2021)
One of the best women’s selection teams for 2023
Winner of Women’s Art Award 2023
Member of Who’s Who in America 2023
Sahito Award, Judging Panel 2023
Winner of the HerStory Award from the Women’s Alliance for World Peace New Jersey 2024
Cultural Ambassador – Iraq, USA since 2018
Cultural ambassador and global literary consultant PEN CRAFT Bangladesh
Email: [email protected]

A refugee laments
it means what?
What if Columbus didn’t discover America?
I play hide and seek with my daughters.
This afternoon we gather around a plate of cardamom-scented tea
and pastries
as my brother,
Surely we expect him,
Knocking lightly on the door, “Is anyone home?”
We used to laugh over and over at the jokes my students would tell us at school.
When incense scents the room.
If Columbus had not discovered America,
I will not close the windows of my apartment.
To prevent opium fumes from the neighbor’s pipe
from polluting it.
If he doesn’t find out,
I smell the bread baking every morning
Walmart doesn’t have to trek through the woods
Buy a loaf of bread and some cheese, then
To my young son, “Come with me? Will you?”
He says: “I’m afraid to walk through the forest.”
So, I go there alone.
If Columbus had not discovered America,
I will not take two trains and one bus to reach my university
And return the same way.
I’ll just take a minibus
It takes me anywhere.
If Columbus had not discovered America,
I would have slept through the night, lulled by the breath of my children;
I wouldn’t have suffered from the insomnia that plagues me here.
If he doesn’t find out,
I get my poetry collection a month after its release.
Instead of waiting an entire year for three copies to arrive in the mail.
If he doesn’t find out,
I wouldn’t have stayed three days from Hurricane Sandy
It used all the energy it gathered from my apartment to try to tear the roof off
waves and winds,
I kept the shingles down with my prayers.
And. . . .
My God, when can I rest?
For twenty years I have been fighting on many fronts.
But no success was in sight, not yet.
…………….
I mourned with the dove,
Dogs chase me
I shed a tear
And wrapped myself in poetry against fear and cold weather.
I have suspended my days from the hooks of patience
It will surely collapse.
I got wet in the raindrop of monkhood
Swallowed again and again the cup of betrayal,
and . . .
A warrior has no time to rest!

By Faleha Hassan