Chasing The Muse
Since 1987

Born and raised in England, Ruan Wright has lived in the US since 1996. She has print published in America, Great Britain and India. Recent credits include RADIX, ART TIMES, Rosebud, The Taj Mahal Review, and WINDHOVER. Her poetry chapbook, 'thought-fish' is published by Moon Journal press. She is currently working on a fantasy novel for upper middle-graders and on. Her work has received awards and recognition from The Poets and Patrons of Chicago, the ISPS, and the CNW/FFWA. She is a member of the Illinois State Poetry Society, Chair of the Naperville Writers Group, and has served as judge for local youth poetry competitions. She is an assistant fiction editor for the Fifth Wednesday Journal (www.fifthwednesdayjournal.com)

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Iraq

by Ruan Wright

(inspired by a photo in the New York Times – 2004 - 
of a young Iraqi girl standing, alone,  in her battered home)



                                                Her window has bars
                                                to keep her safe.

                                                The glass is gone
                                        blown away
with half the house and its inhabitants.

                    Those bars are shaped like obelisks,
                    sword shafts, temple peaks,
                    or the World Trade Center
                    of which she heard 
                    (though only seven at the time) and saw
                    flaming images on TV 
                    (back when they had electricity)
                    before the regime 
                    came crashing down in Firdos Square
                    burned stinging splinters in her eyes
                                                            spat 
                    curses
                                    oaths
    bullets
                    into her crumbling walls.

She could jump
    if the bars didn’t restrain her
                                        shoot
                            to peace
                    in heaven
          with Allah.

            She’d like to see her father and brothers again
                                            dancing.
                    She’d like to clear her mother’s eyes.

                                    But hers is a different sacrifice.

Copyright © 2006 Ruan Wright