Latifa Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Latifa

I envy the girls who
-normally get names that
-are cute and sweet, and great
-like "Dawn", "Wave" …

This one is Latifa
-meaning "Soft"; Princess.

I have her photo and
-father's; Sheikh Mohammad
-totally opposite, dry and fearsome
-as if hide a devil in dark night
-squeaks a tree in desert
-without leaf and grey
-or an eel in corals
-with head out
-shiny eyes!

Nothing there to compare
-between two, except name!

I watch her video and in mind
-memories come alive
-when I ran business
-and had an accident
-was detained in Naïf
-met Prince with long hair,
-wild beard!

"Rashid is my uncle! "
-the then Sheikh of Dubai;
-Latifa's Granddad.

The young sheikh claimed rights
-to large parts of Dubai
- (invaded…)

"He's turned us to homeless…"
-exclaimed the wild sheikh
-inside that detention
- (for ten years…)

Like many, I too, had
-only seen the surface
-until then; meeting sheikh.

Long after
-came along a friend
-Ashook was Keralite, Indian…

He gave me pocket book
-wrapped around it paper
- (old, faded…)

"Dubai" is Robin Moore's
-seems very right, true.

"Be careful…this book is forbidden…"
-I was fish, book water…

Read it fast and returned…

Then time changed
-died Rashid, son replaced
-crown prince became sheikh
-and soon died and vanished anther!

Latifa's father was the third of brothers
-police chief for long and
-took power…
-He added the Al-Khan to Dubai
- (after a failed coup in Sharjah…)

"Dictator, brutal…"
-we heard of him being
-threatened for taking
-the bank and gallery
- (indirect, directly…)

His approach, behaviour
-killed his son (in a way)
-scaring the daughters who escaped
- (Latifa is second,)
-who is next? ? ?