Good-bye & GOOD-BYE

Riyadh at night

Good-bye Riyadh….., and Good-bye your wonderful view at night from tall towers. Good-bye my crowded house with all nephews and nieces.  Good-bye for their honest and lovely laughter. Good-bye the “Arabic” cocktail hour with my parents. Good-bye my mom’s cocking  and my favorite restaurant’s Shawerma . Good-bye the Arabic incense every Friday. Good-bye “Athan” that calls people to pray every day. Good-bye soft golden sands that cover you, Riyadh. 

The dust storm. I HATE IT.

Good-bye Riyadh… and Good-bye your dust storms that keep me home. Good-bye your noisy streets all the time. Good-bye cigarette smell in coffee shops and indoor places. Good-bye hot asphalts that burn tree leaves.  Good-bye restaurants’ greasy food late at night. Good-bye… little things.

Fahad’s LITANY

You are the sun and the moon,

The candle and the lighter.

You are the sunset in the ocean

And the birds tweet in the garden.

You are the white dress of the bride

And the smile of the flowers.

Speaking of the flowers,

I am your butterfly.

I am also the light of your candle.

I also happen to be the waves in the ocean.

But don’t worry, you are still the sunset in the ocean.

Trees...You Are Strong, But Not Strong Enough!!



Trees are strong. They fight winter and fall. Strong enough to stay rigid and not move. Only their shadows move. Their leaves fall, but they never fall. In the summer, they protect us from the sun, keep us cool, and in the spring, they are colorful and beautiful .

Changing Perspectives               

         
         I don’t like them, though. I want to be under the sun. I cut them to make a chair or a table. I move them away to build concrete houses. I burn them to get warm. I leave them without water, so they are not strong enough  to stay where they are. I decide whether I want them to stay or not. I am sorry, trees. You are strong, but not strong enough.



Poverty

Poverty grounds me in a prison

Wearing a black robe with a stick in the hand

Keeping me away from happiness

I am Fahad. I am not what I look like.

Fahad is my name. It is a symbol for strong, wild, and fast in Arabic. It was named after my oldest uncle who raised my father and my other uncle. My namesake loved me so much, and I was his favorite nephew. I thought it was because we have the same name. Now,I have a nephew named Fahad, and he is my favorite and I love him so much. Not because of his name, but because of who he is. I believe my uncle, who passed away years ago, felt the same. my nephew reminds me of myself when I was little. I saw myself in his honesty, his jokes, and his personality .“Fahad” means a lot for me. It was the first thing that I got from my parents.

I am from the golden desert where its sun has given me my dark skin. I am the conservative liberal. I am a messenger who has a letter to deliver. I am a traveler who wants to visit all the places in the world .I don’t mirror myself. People first impression about me usually does not reflect my personality. Once they get to know me, they owe me an apology, so please do not judge me. I am not what I look like.