Bitter, sweet

Enter, as you left
by the door
the shells shattered
the windows
the sirens splintered
the bird calls
the scorched tyres sobered
the jasmin
the smoke plumes obscured
the sunrise
from the balcony.

Take this limp hand:
the limb lessened
the blow.

The land heaves;
the sky hangs.

Lebanon - Khalil Hawi

This was probably the last poem written by Khalil Hawi (1919-1982).*

لبنان

كنا جداراً يلتقي جدار

ما اُوجع الحوار

ما اُوجع القطيعه

تغصُّ بالفجيعه

ما اُوجع الحوار

We were walls facing walls
It was painful to talk
It was painful to feel the distance
Choked by the tragedy
It was painful to talk


(Trans. Abdullah al-Udhari)


Read about Khalil Hawi here. 
More of his poetry here and here. 

*So says Ammiel Alcalay in 'After Jews and Arabs: Remaking Levantine Culture'.