Rumpus Original Poetry: Two Poems by Janan Alexandra
parable as ars poetica
( i )
ف
The shape of the Fāʾ is assumed to come from a pictogram of the mouth. Girl sees a curled shoe,
a buckle or person sitting with legs outstretched & toes flexed, arms making a pleasing loop, head studying something small.
Girl rests her oars in their oarlocks & takes notes:
Fāʾ–fathah (فَـ /fa ) is a multi-function
prefix equivalent to “so” or “so that”
Example: نَكْتُب naktub means we write
+ ف → فَنَكْتُب fanaktub means so we write
( iii )
ك
1. (hand) كف
2. In literary Arabic, kaph is used as a prefix to mean like or as or as though
3. If kaph is a hand that means like or as or as though, then kaph is a simile
4. Simile is a hand touching two places at once, a hand bringing together
two far away things, making a transfer (metaphor)
5. For example:
كَطَائِر ( like a bird or as though a bird )
6. poem
girl
as though
bird
hand
parable of water & mothers
( i )
ل
girl draws her bucket
up from the well
her mother calls تعالي
finger beckoning come home
mother like a shepherd
with her pastoral staff
pastoral like a swan
circling in the ripple
( ii )
م
girl’s favorite shape
is the meem. she loves
to make it with her
asthoughabirdhand
ممممممممممممممممstroke cruelممممم
& sweetمممممممممممممممmeemممممم
cameممممممممfrom a symbolممممم
ممممممم مممممممfor waterممhence
the words mayyمممممmaiمممممma
مممممممممممممم mamaمممممممممم
ممممممممممممممممممmmhhمممممممممم
( iii )
ن
Girl’s favorite word is نحن
It means We
Even before she knew the word she loved the sound
Here: Nahnou
Maybe she loves it because it sounds like ننون
Or maybe because Girl is thinking about We
Girl wonders areyoumyWe?
AmIyourWe?
HowdoWeWetogether?
WouldyouWewithme?
CouldIWewithyou?
HowcanIbetterWeyou?
&youme? AndusWe?
In Arabic, there is an expression:
“nus-nus” (remember?)
It means half-half
Half for you & half for me
&ForWe
***
Author photo courtesy of author