Dubai 2020 – A tribute poem

First published on my now defunct FB page on Wednesday, 27 November 2013 at 20:56 UTC+04, 30 minutes after Dubai was announced the city to host the Expo 2020. I had vowed that if Dubai would get it, I would write a poem… and this is what I had written in that span of 30 minutes! 🙂

The fire burns, in the cold chilly night I warm my hands, whilst I look at the sand beneath me, drip… slithering through my toes as I …  Sit atop a dune.

Khawaneej..  My gaze travels far… The stomach of a big bird, reads out in bold White letters.. on red background. Emirates. And I follow its trail.  As it descends into the skyline.

And I … sip my karak. 

My old rusty Land Cruiser, hums in the background… And i inhale, deep. Shisha. 

The stars… start to dance. To the tunes of the water. The Burj, i can see, from far away… It’s like..my guiding shining light… 

The fountains, swing and dance… and the children .. cheer on … and the tourists alike.

What a stunning view. To be at the base, of..  the tallest building, built by Man. Backspace! By a Nation. A Nation built on grandeur.

Not for the sake of grandeurity … but as a way to beckon you all into her warmth. Quite literally. Her warmth! 

On that beach, in the middle of the night, you see.. the ships setting sail, like little pearls … how ironic.

Those little pearls, that were under the sea. Now float up … It’s their time to shine

I walk, alone, at 3 in the morning. Felt the need to feel free. I’m a girl. I walk alone. And I walk safe.

I forgot to wonder why, that is so…  Till I remembered my 600 dirham fine. Thank you, ya a7la police fil 3alam! Kulkum Adab wa Akhlaak! Fida hal 600 dirham! You keep me safe. 

My father once… was really sad, because I had a dream… to ski a slope.. Alas, we live in a desert and all I have was the sand and the sun. 

But then my father, also had dreams. Ya Sheikh, Allah yer7amak.. Ya sheikhna Zayed. 7abibna!

The pot of coffee now brews. Filled with Cardamom and soul. The camels graze on the bush. And I walk on… 

Al Emarat… is a nation of nations. 202 to be precise.

Where, the pot doesn’t just melt. 

But it’s thareed… fused and mixed and mashed… Haven’t you had thareed…

No wonder you can’t feel the soul.  The soul… is collective. Kulluna Khalifa.

Ay Na3am. Wa Allah ye7fadhek ya Emarat. Enti wa sha3bek al jameel. 

UAE – 202One Soul.