Contemporary Literary Review India | Print ISSN 2250-3366 | Online ISSN 2394-6075 | Impact Factor 8.1458 | Vol. 8, No. 1: CLRI February 2021

Raad Kareem Abd-Aun

The Necessary Enemy

a bully is only a bully because he is weak

a one who knows his strengths never preys

on the weak because a bully is insecure

always attacking to defend itself whether

girl or boy a bully is a great equalizer

all the weak and vulnerable are his targets

So if the US and Iran are cool and Iran is no longer

a threat where can the US find a country

so close and intimidating and such

a strategic position to coerce the gulf

to submit?


25th October

bridges are magnificent the apex of human achievement

from Arkadico Bridge in greece to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge

in China these structures defy description you can only

gaze like stout Cortez with eagle eyes staring at the Pacific

London Tower Golden Gate Millau Rialto Si-o-se Pol

Stari Most Sydney Harbor Akashi Kaikyo Bridge of Sighs

Coronado Bridge Pont du Gard Ponte Vecchio Chesapeake Bay Bridge

and Crane's most tragic too early song Brooklyn Bridge

in Baghdad there are bridges i remember crossing many times

Bridge of the 14th July tragic Al-Aimmah Bridge Al-Sarafiya

Muthanna Shuhada Ahrar Sinak Bab Al-Moatham

and Aljoumhouria Bridge where brave young men and women

dare death every day facing all odds and all enemies domestic and foreign

a bridge that looks to me from afar to link paradise to inferno


Away from Nothome

Thoughts on Involuntary Self-Exile

"Home is where the heart is." – proverb

We packed our bags: the best clothes we have,

Favourite books, important documents,

Laptop, tablet, external hard drives, family photo album,

Our savings in a bank account:

We need to be light to have a quick flight:

Time is upon us. Here, in our not home, we are as good as dead

If we stay few more days. We are leaving, never to look back again.

We are exiles in this place. No safety, no security, no rights, no hope.

We stand in the shuttle only minutes away from flight and "safety":

Is it worth it to replace one nothome with another?


Raad Kareem Abd-Aun, born in Babylon, Iraq, in 1976, holds a PhD in English Literature. He writes poetry since 1995 and considers it, second to his family, the food of his spirit. Some of his poems were published in print and electronic journals. He currently works at the University of Babylon dividing his time between teaching English Literature, academic, and creative writing.

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