Long Evacuate Poems

Fadwa Tuqan has been called the Grand Dame of Palestinian letters and The Poet of Palestine. These are my translations of Fadwa Tuqan poems originally written in Arabic.



Enough for Me
by Fadwa Tuqan 
loose translation/interpretation by...

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English translations of Arabic poems by Fadwa Tuqan aka "The Poet of Palestine"

Enough for Me
by Fadwa Tuqan 
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Enough for me to lie in the earth,
to be buried in her,
to sink...

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Chernobyl.


A nuclear disaster, in the Russian town Chernobyl,
An odor-less killer, the invisible force.
As the radiation escapes, from the crumbling reactor,
We must cool it down, before it blows.


Evacuate Pripyat, the employee’s town,
The town of 35000; first...

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I woke up this morning form a puss nap to face the miserable day screaming in my back, I turned around to see who it was but I did not see anyone and suddenly my...

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I'd finished work early so I went, to pick the kids up from school
I thought this time tomorrow, we'll all be bathing in the pool
We were travelling tonight on a family vacation to Spain
I put...

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It was a dark and moonless night. The lights were out. The TV low.
My hubby and I were relaxed, cuddled close, as the TV set the room aglow.
The telly had a “Flying Saucer Abduction”, with...

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Human Sack Gruff Ice Agonizingly Glommed...
Murderously Skewered, And Torturously Zapped

Directv linkedin to accentuate
piddly money crisis, tis zen uneasy fate,
I imagine dragons gyrate
ting, and licking chops, faux masticate
ting, no matter I didst pre
   ...

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My son, nearly twenty,
living at home while attending community college,
without prospects of healthier, more robust, alternatives,
believes it is now past time
for pollsters to cast aside their neutral professional agendas
and play a more positive role
in educating...

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"The Whirled In Between"

What dreams 
in the time of 
not thinking

we spent aeons
in conversations
with the unbelieved 

deliberating 
choices towards 
our liberation 

traversed 
contracts written 
by the unseen

such wordy 
reams offered, the 
scrolling walls speaking

wailing towards
the...

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The day has just dawn and the infidels are all over the lawn, they are setting up tents in the field and continue to ignore the written deal, the widows and single women are at...

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At New Yorks LaGuardia airport passengers stood in line
Waiting to board U.S.airways, flight one five four nine
Chesley Sullenberger was the captain and Jeff Skiles the co pilot
They were bound for North Carolina to the city...

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When ‘He’ decides to destroy one and all
I’ll spend my last day in this old snooker hall
My cue in one hand and a beer in the other
I’ll play my last game with my dad and...

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We enter the town with no preconceived notion about what was going on; we just wanted to dine at a good restaurant and sing some invigorating songs. The atmosphere was clear, our spirit was fine...

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How convenient slated to receive second dose...
COVID-19 February 13th, 2021

Here at Highland Manor apartments
me and the missus occupy room B44
courtesy qualified medical personnel
Lansdale, Penna CVS store #01379.

No qualm regarding being vaccinated
though yours truly NOT panic...

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I was born in Sunny Southern California, in the hottest month of the year! cries out my mother.  California is known for its drought season; one we just came out of, it lasted four...

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Fathers of disastrous; 
are crueless father of evil, 
who live in the globe, 
and destroy the light.

Fathers of disatrous’
They kindle the fire, 
and off the light.
They are unmerciful, 
and live long.
They humiliate, 
the poor ones,...

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I arrived at the airport, along with my wife
For two whole weeks we'll live the good life
We're flying out today for a break in Italy
The place we've both always wanted to see.

We got through security...

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T’was dry the spring with thunderstorms that rumbled across dry;
most every day was under sun or star filled sky,
the grass had burnt off early; hay mowed this year was scarce,
closed paddocks saved the milkers where...

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Ukraine is not being fully supported by Europe because Russia has been putting pressure on it.  Because Russia has threatened Germany, they are only sending Ukraine 12,000 helmets and what good will that do!...

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This white rabbit is having a hell of a day.
It started out good but ended in a bad way.

I woke up feeling marvelous and grand,
dressed up in my waistcoat, with my pocket-watch in hand.

I soon...

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BEAUTIFUL BEACHES, A Letter to Daniel
By Curtis Johnson

Hi Daniel,

There once was a man living high on a mountain whose name was Harry
Mt. St. Helen was threatening  to blow its top, and everyone started to...

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Dear Dawn:

Look at the elements in the skies and make a wish before the stars die, the moon is gleaming underneath the clouds, and the rainbow is singing a courageous song, and the people are...

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Humans have long trespassed
and destroyed animal territories
Humans have poached
And selfishly encroached
upon animal habitats
cutting down trees to build
human habitations.
Now the tables have turned
Humans are quarantined  in house arrest
while some lie sick in bedrest
So animals not usually...

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The race for this thing still goes on and you have to meet me before the break of dawn, somewhere beyond the clouds I envision an oracle coming out of the sea and the people...

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The Hurricane was Harvey
By Franklin Price
8/31/2017

The hurricane was Harvey, what an unassuming name
Left the western Yucatan. across the Gulf he came
Building up his power to a category four
Slammed into the Texas coast with wind, and...

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