
POETRY: Tragic
Khaled Nusseibeh
Posted Jun 19, 2007 •Permalink • Printer-Friendly Version
Tragic
A calamity visits a person, a family, a community
When economics and decadence enslave a girl
And chains are placed on a free individual
So that sale of body becomes a profession
She was endowed with intrinsic dignity and humanity
Abused and trampled upon for worldly gain and pleasure
The sacred feminine was created for nurturing offspring
And sharing licit love with a man
May God guide those who desecrate one of humanity’s sacreds
The great family institution
The red light district sows and spreads corruption
Corrosive of the fabric of social living
Masquerading behind the guise of freedom
Sanctity is abused and placed on the altar of wicked Satan
A will to endure temptation is a sound alternative
To descent into self-destroying debasement
Economic solutions coupled with social and moral renewal
And a determination by the powerful to overcome the malaise
Repentance is the means to chart a new course
For a woman, a man, a society and a nation
That sets its priorities by defending what is sacred
To the human family at large
Cultural reality is a malleable condition
That may be modified to safeguard fundamental interests