Epic Simile

The elongated leaves of the tree protected me as a mother bird protects her child from the brutal harshness of the world. I was as a baby bird, sheltered from anything overwhelming until it is time to plunge into the world. All the while, the baby bird is left without a single apprehension thinking of nothing but its mother, its protector. The enormous leaf fell on my already aching head, and I knew I was left unprotected once again.

Samar Al Ansari
GRADE 9.2

Visit the Site

If you miss Samar, day or night
Don’t hesitate! Just log into her website
She’ll be greeting you as her blog comes to sight
With her charming smile and a face full of light
You’ll find her shinning in each picture, quite bright
Glowing through her words like the sunlight
You’ll feel some sadness, but it’s alright
As you’ll soon feel comfort, even if slight
When the memories vividly rush so bright
Then you will realize what a delight
It was for you to visit her web site.


Randah R. Hamadeh ©, 2010, Copyright
Written in loving memory of my daughter, 
Samar Ahmed Al Ansari (4/4/1988-4/9/2006)

Companions

What do I see?
What do I feel?
Is she here with me?
Is this real?

Soul by soul we wander,
each in different realms
attached by cords of gossamer
stronger than steel.

Gates of life swing open
on so much I cannot tell
unless I let my senses
detect what is more real.

More real than this life only,
more real than breath and bone,
with her spirit my companion,
I do not walk alone.

by Genesse Bordeau Gentry, 2009 ,Copyright©

Catching the Light

كل عام وأنت بخير حبيبتي

كل عام وأنت بخير حبيبتي


العيد أتى..... أينك لتطلي


بملابسك الجديدة المعطرة بالفل؟


كم للقاء الأقارب بالعيد تشوقت


وكم من مرة للسوق ذهبت


وأزهى الملابس للعيد اخترت


.وأجمل تحية للأهل أهديت




أمي، لا أظن أنك شيئا نسيت"


اعرف انك تتألمين كلما تذكرت


أشعر بما تخفين وبما أظهرت


وأعلم أنك لقدوم العيد حزنت


وان الجميع سعداء بالعيد إلا أنت


"أسمعك تعاتبيني قائلة "لماذا رحلت؟

 أما بحالك وحالي أمي رأفت؟


فأنا لن أعود أمي مهما تكدرت


لكني معك بروحي أينما التفت


أحوم حولك، أما بي شعرت؟


قبلتك على خدك ومن النوم أفقت


وكنت أول من يهنئك بالعيد فبكيت


امسحي دموعك رفقا بقلبي الذي أحزنت


ورفقا بإخوتي اللذين سيتألمان إن تألمت


أعلم أنك لن تفرحي بالعيد حتى لو حاولت


أمي، أناديك بصمت فهل كلماتي سمعت؟

"اشتقت إليك أكثر مما اشتقت"


رنده ربحي حماده
(أم سمر)
جميع الحقوق محفوظة للمؤلفة© 2010

بعض ما قال ابن الرومي في رثاء ابنا لم يذكر اسمه

حماه الكرى هم سرى فتأوبا

فبات يراعي النجم حتى تصوبا

أعيني جودا لي فقد جدت للثرى

بأكثر مما تمنعان واطلبا

بني الذي أهديته أمس للثرى

فلله ما أقوى قناتي وأصلبا

فان تمنعاني الدمع أرجع الى الأسى

إذا فترت عنه الدموع تلهبا



Compare and Contrast Paragraph

From the few points I’ve heard about the main characters of my tablemates’ novels, I have learned that their main characters and my main character share many differences as well as similarities. The main character of my novel “Habibi, Liyana Abboud, is an insecure, confused girl, who is scared about staring a whole new life. My tablemates’ main characters are all teenage boys. One of them is a trouble maker, the other is simply tough, and the last one is a week rejected person who gets into a lot of fights. Unlike the first two characters, Liyana isn’t tough or secure about herself and her personality. She keeps referring to her self as a “half –half”, because her father is Palestinian, while her mother is American. She doesn’t seem to know who she is, and she seems scared of sharing her path of self discovery. She has something in common with the rejected boy, because he too seems to be scared and confused. The other two boys seem to be sure of themselves. My tablemates’ main character s all seem to get into trouble, while Liyana is a girl who accepts everything, but keeps her emotions bottled up inside. As for the setting of my novel and my tablemates’ novels, they are very different. The setting of “Habibi” is in a neighborhood in St Louis, but will soon change to Jerusalem, Palestine. It takes place in a modern day, in an urban society, but will soon change to a society which is a more of rural and urban societies. The settings of my tablemate’s novels all take place in modern day high school, in an urban society as well.


Samar Al Ansari
Grade  9.2
6/1/ 2003

An apology from Samar

قارئة الطالع

" قارئة الطالع، أخبريني بما ترين"

أرى أنك من بلاد المقدس، فلسطين

عيناك تدل بأنك فقدت أحد البنات أو البنين

ظلمك الدهر فأصبحت من المنكوبين

قلبك مكسور، معذب، ملتاع وحزين

همك ثقيلا لم أر مثله طوال السنين

إلا أنك رغم قسوة الدهر، من الصابرين

عطرك طيب كعطر الفل والياسمين

قرأت طالعك ثلاث مرات كاملين

وتأكدت أنك من المقهورين والمعذبين

©رنده ربحي حماده

(أم سمر)
جميع الحقوق محفوظة للمؤلفة
2010

November 2010