A Firework Dance of Red & White....

Layla Anwar, An Arab Woman Blues

...Yes, It was Al-Mutannabi street (named after a famous poet) which an explosion ripped apart into a blazing inferno three days ago. Over 50 Iraqis dead and more than 150 injured...They were browsing through the books of al-Mutannabi street. The music continues... Another explosion propels more into the air. Another gigantic firework of detonated bodies. Over 30 Iraqis dead and countless other injured...They were on a pilgrimage, chanting sacred devotional tunes and that was yesterday. And today, another in the series of fireworks...Over 40 Iraqis sitting in a cafe, listening to their favorite song, sipping tea, playing dominoes or backgammon, puffing on their final smoke...blown into tiny pieces, red morsels of flesh... and God knows how many more injured. And the music continues... I am now listening to "La Marche Persane" by J.Strauss...which I have renamed "La Marche Americo-Persane"... Maliki is shaking hands with Bush and Ahmadinajad and framing a few unwanted parliamentarians who are anti-occupation (iranian or american occupation or both?) Remains to be seen in the next pyromaniacal exhibition of Fireworks. The music has stopped. I feel too giddy...My head feels heavy... Must be all this wind coming from the "new" Iraq...

continua / continued