Remembering
written by: Faleeha Hassan
translated by: William M. Hutchins
I remember
I was born there,
Near a lingering dream,
When my mother, alone with her passion,
(I am alone still, an orphan)
Arranged her dreams in boxes called “us.”
And then returned the next morning to
Press her eyes to shed kohl,
While she slept, we lay as naked as a freshly washed tunic
Inhaling alienation as we dried.
She is a poet, teacher, editor, writer, and playwright born in Najaf, Iraq, in 1967, who now lives in the United States. Faleeha was the first woman to write poetry for children in Iraq. She received her master's degree in Arabic literature, and has now published 26 books, her poems have been translated into English, Turkmen, Bosnian, Indian, French, Italian, German, Kurdish, Spain, Korean, Greek, Serbia, Albanian, Pakistani, Romanian, Malayalam, Chinese, ODIA, Nepali and Macedonian language. She is the Pulitzer Prize Nomination 2018, PushCaret Prize Nomination 2019. Member of International Writers and Artists Association. Winner of the Women of Excellence Inspiration award from SJ magazine 2020. Winner of the Grand Jury Award (the Sahitto International Award for Literature 2021). One of the Women of Excellence selection committees 2023. Winner of women the arts award 2023. Member of Whos’ Who in America 2023. SAHITTO Award, Judging panel 2023. Winner of HerStory Award from women’s Federation for world peace new Jersey 2024. Cultural Ambassador - Iraq, USA since 2018. Cultural Ambassador and worldwide literary advisor PEN CRAFT Bangladesh.
Latest posts by Faleeha Hassan (see all)
- Remembering - May 6, 2026
- If You Love One of Them - May 8, 2024
- After 40 Years of Snow - January 9, 2019
