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Tag Archives: Mahinour Tawfik
World Poetry Presents Mahinour Tawfik with Powerless!
Ariadne’s Notes: We are honoured to present a 22 year old medical student from Egypt whose powerful and moving poetry reaches out to the world. Another talented and empowered youth poet who will make a positive difference in the world! Today we are posting a strong poem called Powerless which was read on the last World Poetry Café Radio Show during the amazing show with Janet Rogers, Victoria Poet Laureate.
World Poetry Canada International wishes to say that there are many youth poets and directors using the pen and special programs to help create a better world with a focus on peace. Mahinour is one such poet who can present the tough issues but also create peace. Also our mission is to give support and believe in these poets, filmmakers and writers. The World Poetry Family is behind you.
She writes:
“My name is Mahinour Tawfik
A 22-year old medical student in Egypt studying to become a psychiatrist.
Was educated in British school, Grew to be fond of English Literature especially poetry.
Went through very hard times, had almost given in to pain until poetry healed me
As a medical student I believe, as medicine heals bodies, poetry cures souls
I had several chances to participate in poetry anthologies
I dream to become a world known poetess, a very successful psychiatrist and to travel around the world.”
Powerless
I‘ve got brainpower & sound senses,
yet I am powerless
Granted all chances to prosper
But every moment I live,
every breath I take, is worthless
I am useless to the living
and disgrace for the dead
Humanity is being murdered;
I am drowning in the bloodshed
Villainy has steadily nurtured,
injustice has widely spread
When righteousness is known,
I am powerless to defend
Everyday thousands are victimized,
My soul keeps shattering
upon listening to mourners’ screams and cries
I see blame in the eyes
Of the orphans and parents, windows and friends
“How could you let them die?
Why didn’t you save them,
why didn’t you even try “
When heroes are martyred defending their honor
Shielding their families, protecting their lands
Steady in front of death, because faith is their armor
When heroes hold swords,
I do nothing but hold a pen in my hand
Expressing my pain and ache in valueless words
Not taking an effective action to rescue the world
My beloveds, whom I vowed to,
sacrifice my soul for their sakes
I am still living my worthless life,
but their hearts won’t ever wake
I wronged my child when I birthed him to a life
Where I am powerless to protect him,
from the abuse and strife
I was nothing but selfish, handicapped
I knew he could be murdered, raped or kidnapped
When mothers sing their babies sweet lullabies
I woke my baby upon mourner’s grief and cries
I am living in a hell, powerless to fight its demons
I can neither protect innocents nor my beloved ones
I didn’t save my murdered sister in the church
she said the word (Jesus)
And then breathed her last
Neither did I save my kidnapped brother from the mosque,
10 days had passed
When his corpse was found but cut into pieces
I watched chapels, shrines & temples set on fires
Ignited by the devils’ lustful desires*
Claiming to spread words of God & strengthen his gracious name
When they bring the gracious religions nothing but disdain and shame
Ignorant of the fact that
No matter how long corruption takes over,
only God’s power remains
I listen to the creator and religions being insulted
But powerless to defend what I’ve been entrusted
I’ve got no justification,
nothing to say
I am still useless to the living,
more disgrace to the dead
I loathe my worthlessness
I pray every moment for death to lose all the capabilities
I have, still with them,
I am nothing but powerless
Mahinour Tawfik ©
World Poetry Presents Janet Rogers, Victoria Poet Laureate!
Ariadne’s Notes: The World Poetry Café Radio Show with hosts Wanda Kehewin and Ariadne Sawyer welcomed Janet Rogers, Poet Laureate of Victoria BC. Canada. The show included songs by Janet Rogers and a-e poem by the Egyptian youth poet Mahinour Tawfik called Powerless. To listen: CLICK HERE!
poet, media artist – Janet Marie Rogers – spoken word, radio host
Victoria Poet Laureate 2012 -2015
Janet is a Mohawk/Tuscarora writer from the Six Nations band in southern Ontario. She was born in Vancouver British Columbia and has been living on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish people (Victoria, British Columbia) since 1994. Janet works in the genres of poetry, spoken word performance poetry, video poetry and recorded poetry with music and script writing.
Janet has four published poetry collections to date; Splitting the Heart, Ekstasis Editions 2007, Red Erotic, Ojistah Publishing 2010, Unearthed, Leaf Press 2011. Her newest collection “Peace in Duress” was released with Talonbooks in September 2014. Her poetry CDs Firewater 2009, Got Your Back 2012 and 6 Directions 2013 all received nominations for Best Spoken Word Recording at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards and the Native American Music Awards. You can hear Janet on the radio as she hosts Native Waves Radio on CFUV fm and Tribal Clefs on CBC radio one fm in Victoria BC. Her radio documentaries “Bring Your Drum” (50 years of indigenous protest music) and Resonating Reconciliation won Best Radio at the imagaineNATIVE Film and Media festival 2011 and 2013
Ikkwenyes or Dare to Do is the name of the collective Mohawk poet Alex Jacobs and Janet created in 2011. Ikkwenyes won the Canada Council for the Arts Collaborative Exchange award 2012 and a Loft Literary Prize in 2013. Janet joined talents with Mohawk media artist Jackson Twobears in the Blood Collective, winners of a National Screen Institutes Aboriginal Documentary Residency for their media project NDNs on the Airwaves 2015.
Janet Rogers Web Links :
Soundcloud Poetry
Sky Woman Falling https://soundcloud.com/janet-marie-rogers/sky-woman-falling
Being Indian
https://soundcloud.com/janet-marie-rogers/being-indian
3-Day Road https://soundcloud.com/user386441415/3-day-road
Something for the Tongue https://soundcloud.com/janet-marie-rogers/something-for-the-tongue
Video Poetry
Forever – Peace In Duress Book Trailer – Janet Rogers, Jackson Twobears https://vimeo.com/101636654
It Stopped – Janet Rogers, Benjamin Goyet, Russell Wallace https://vimeo.com/74409134
Performance Poetry
75 Levels of Connecting to the Negative with dancer Justin Many Fingershttps://vimeo.com/60812582
Idle No More Trio Poetry Performance – Jackson Twobears, Janet Rogers, Peter Morin
https://vimeo.com/59184110
Hotel Reality
Junkie
I can’t stand the grabbing hands
The way they drag me in
Against my will, unwelcomed
Uncivilized addiction
Visions of medicine
Dropping like acid on the skin
Tapping your foot off the beat
But it still feels good
Stuck in a sequence of movements
Stationary minutes passing to hours
This is how Thursday goes
Drugs don’t like independence
They are jealous lovers
Over bearing, they like you, bound
Little romance to bring you back
After the break up, but you do and again
You do
It isn’t smoke in your eyes
Its isn’t blood on your sleeve
This is the itch of psychic knowing
You’ve got to cop to it
We are all multidimensional
With invisible bridges connecting
Us together
I am aware of the pain I caused you
I can see it in the reflection of me
In your eyes looking back at you
And on and on
You beg for the songs to stop
For the drugs to wear off
But there is no one there
To hear you and no one who cares
Emotional safety nets, break
Dropping like wet cement
The artist is to the critic is to the reader
Is to the merchant is to the writer is to the muse
Is to the universe is to the _________________________
The junkie’s line is limited
And critical contributions stop short.
Our bones are not old hotels
Mysteriously supporting structures
Overdue for demolition
How do we all make a living?
“the most addicting drug of all is silence”
Sentences walking out of the room
Disappearing down fog-filled streets
Leaving questions on the tongue
Life is not complicated
It is not an acid trip
It is a dream
It is a story made of many
Complexity comes when we try
To cheat our way through it
We are still learning
We make the same efforts
To do the same things
They already did
Without success
It is useless to try and alter reality
History brings a well-worn shovel
And backhoe when we try
To bury our lies
Sleep, is the only true territory unseeded
It is precious and sacred
Please do not disturb
The funny-faced masks
Remind us there is something
Beyond ourselves, pay attention
Everything is energy everything is commodity
I got what you want
You need what I got
How much? Is the question
Love is a heavy negotiation
With sub-clauses and loop-holes
Waivers you never knew you signed
Pay attention
The dealer will call at all hours
Just to see if you’re in, hang up
And call again.
Performance is a language
We learn to use every day
This voice is for you
Trouble follows drugs
I want to be a dealer
Just for the money
Quick and dirty
Smoke hash on Christmas
Drop X on New Years
Brutal is the number
Of lost loved-ones
Breaking hearts taking faith
Shaking foundations
Pulling chords mess’n with justice
Losing balance
We hold hope when we believe in
Recycled souls
Better luck next time
I tell him of the many wet-faced
Women lining the back
Of the funeral home
When he goes, he says
nothing
The day Buddha decides to
Commit suicide is the day
I stop writing
Worthlessness is a drug
And it doesn’t even
Cost anything
Janet Rogers (C)