Nimah Ismail Nawwab is an English writer, photographer, lecturer and recognized poet. Educated in Saudi Arabia, she is considered a trail-blazing writer and poet, and has been dubbed  a ‘cultural ambassadress’ and ‘a voice of Arab women’.

Her interests in diversity, change, tolerance, women’s issues, and empowering youth have led to involvement in various activities and presentations.

Her work and best selling book “The Unfurling” have been featured among other in Newsweek, The Washington Post, LA Times, Japan Times and the Saudi Gazette.

Her poetry has been translated into several languages and taught at schools and colleges in Arabia and abroad. 

In her own words:

‘Banishment’ is inspired by the history of countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia at a time when we look around and note that almost every country is going through a crisis and instability is rampant.  It also touches on the mourning of women, their  suffering and  their lot.  The depression, rage and helplessness of the older generation is moving on to the younger generation. The call and thirst for peace as well as the need to keep  hope alive are the  ideals our generation have to hold on to. So the poem moves from grief to hope and is powered by the drive to dispel grief in strong terms, with passion and decisiveness.

For further information visit http://www.theunfurling.com

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Banishment

I let you out,
Your rule is at an end,
I let you out,
With all that is in me,
Grief,
I let you go,
Pent up wrath,
Clawing at my heart,
Clenching my hands,
Running your despairing, devastating course,
Through throbbing veins.

I give you back,
To the oppressors,
Tyrants,
Soulless,
Callous of human decency,
Giddy with hysterical racism,
Puffed with blind arrogance,
Thriving on their mastery,
Stealing, raping, conquering,
The Arab world, African continent, Asian lands.

I let you out,
As the agony of generations
Birthed,
Matured,
Ingrown,
Stamp our collective memory,
Moaning mothers,
Massacred young innocents,
Shamed helpless males,
Weaved in and out of the centuries.

I turn you out,
Grief,
Out of my heart of hearts
Out of my soulful soul.
I let you out,
As women’s tears join
Across lands, deserts, oceans
Rivers of suffering,
Gushing and flooding,
The tributaries of time and place.
I let you go, Grief,
So you can no longer hold me in thrall,
Keep me from restful sleep,
Smothering my dreams,
With a bleak, murky future for my loved ones.

I let you out,
Grief,
And pick up the mantle of joy,
Pulling its swirling warmth tightly,
Deeply drinking up bubbling pleasure,
Dancing and twirling
To the ecstatic, mighty music of human bonding,
Soothing,
Supporting,
Succoring me,
Bringing me peace, peace, peace, peace...

Oh, yes, Grief, listen well,
As the bloom of hope thrives,
Spreads its fine pollen,
Cultivating laughter,
Confidence to take you on.

As streaming, quickening hope enters my soul,
Courses through my blood,
Races through my heart,
Shines out of my eyes,
I let you go,
Shrieking, writhing in denial.

Trying and failing,
To survive in a barren land,
Banished from the light of day
Banished from the soothing dark of night.
Your rule at an end.
I let you out,

Your rule is at an end,

I let you out,
With all that is in me,
Grief,
I let you go,
Pent up wrath,
Clawing at my heart,
Clenching my hands,
Running your despairing, devastating course,
Through throbbing veins.

I give you back,
To the oppressors,
Tyrants,
Soulless,
Callous of human decency,
Giddy with hysterical racism,
Puffed with blind arrogance,
Thriving on their mastery,
Stealing, raping, conquering,
The Arab world, African continent, Asian lands.

I let you out,
As the agony of generations
Birthed,
Matured,
Ingrown,
Stamp our collective memory,
Moaning mothers,
Massacred young innocents,
Shamed helpless males,
Weaved in and out of the centuries.

I turn you out,
Grief,
Out of my heart of hearts
Out of my soulful soul.
I let you out,
As women’s tears join
Across lands, deserts, oceans
Rivers of suffering,
Gushing and flooding,
The tributaries of time and place.
I let you go, Grief,
So you can no longer hold me in thrall,
Keep me from restful sleep,
Smothering my dreams,
With a bleak, murky future for my loved ones.

I let you out,
Grief,
And pick up the mantle of joy,
Pulling its swirling warmth tightly,
Deeply drinking up bubbling pleasure,
Dancing and twirling
To the ecstatic, mighty music of human bonding,
Soothing,
Supporting,
Succoring me,
Bringing me peace, peace, peace, peace...

Oh, yes, Grief, listen well,
As the bloom of hope thrives,
Spreads its fine pollen,
Cultivating laughter,
Confidence to take you on.

As streaming, quickening hope enters my soul,
Courses through my blood,
Races through my heart,
Shines out of my eyes,
I let you go,
Shrieking, writhing in denial.

Trying and failing,
To survive in a barren land,
Banished from the light of day
Banished from the soothing dark of night.
Your rule at an end.