dedalus Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 My life is in your hands, she said, and my first ignoble thought, forgive me, was why was she saying this? We’d only known each other three weeks and she was a cute lovely girl and all that but we hadn’t, umm, you know … done anything? My father comes from the old country, she said, and he is so strict. My mother, she is worse! My older brothers, Daoad and Amir, they always always beat up my boyfriends and I hate them! But with you I feel good. Me, I wasn’t feeling ecstatic at this news, for I had had a glimpse of Daoad and Amir, those hairy gorillas, and could only imagine what the father was like. Never mind the mother. Ehh, do you have any sisters, says I, to move this dreadful family saga along. Oh, she dead. She betrayed my cousin so my uncle kill her. Oh, really? Yah, my father he must apologise. Anyway, you kiss me now? My lips for some reason ran dry, some temporary saliva failing, and I took a rather quick look around … O God! Is that Daoad (or Amir) outside looking in the window? No, a shadow. I’m starting to have feelings about shadows. Look, Zaynab, I really like you a lot … I know. I am a treasure. Many boys want me. But you, you don’t only want my body, you love my mind. I like that in you. Ah, of course. To be sure. I like you, you are Irish boy, Irish boys are strong and brave, good lovers. I dart a glance again at the window. O God, that’s him! doubt without a Daoud, no, I mean … emm, I need to visit the gents! Of course, my dear. Don’t be long. Where is the back door? Unseen by me, Amir arrives, smiles at his sister, and picks up my half-finished pint of beer. Gone then, is he? O like a puff of wind. Quote Drown your sorrows in drink, by all means, but the real sorrows can swim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Chicken! This is funny and a little sad at the same time. Well done Brendan. ~~Tink Quote ~~ © ~~ Poems by Judi Van Gorder ~~ For permission to use this work you can write to Tinker1111@icloud.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dedalus Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 Cluck, cluck! Actually, it is not the Western boyfriends who are in any real danger but the young women themselves. http://en.wikipedia....i/Honor_killing In 2008 a woman was killed in Saudi Arabia by her father for "chatting" to a man on Facebook. The killing became public only when a Saudi cleric referred to the case to criticise Facebook for the strife it caused. This cultural phenomenon is pretty much under the radar in the US, UK and other countries with large West/ South Asian immigrant communities. But it definitely occurs. The worst scenario (comparatively speaking) is that of the young women brought up in the West who are forced into arranged marriages with yokels in the home country. Just be glad you are a free outspoken American woman! All the perceived sexual harrassment (which no doubt exists) is pretty minor compared to the real deal! Quote Drown your sorrows in drink, by all means, but the real sorrows can swim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abstrect-christ Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 In Canada it gets in the news as soon as it happens usually. Hell there's a judge calling the tradition "barbaric" in the news. Although this is sort of funny in a college humour sort of sense despite it's dark nature. But I also like dark humour as well -- love black humour. Quote Pinhead "Unbearable, isn't it? The suffering of strangers, the agony of friends. There is a secret song at the center of the world, Joey, and its sound is like razors through flesh." Joey "I don't believe you." Pinhead "Oh come, you can hear its faint echo right now. I'm here to turn up the volume. To press the stinking face of humanity into the dark blood of its own secret heart." "There's a starving beast inside my chestplaying with me until he's boredThen, slowly burying his tusks in my fleshcrawling his way out he rips open old woundsWhen I reach for the knife placed on the bedside tableits blade reflects my determined faceto plant it in my chestand carve a hole so deep it snaps my veinsHollow me out, I want to feel empty"-- "Being Able To Feel Nothing" by Oathbreakerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBPy3xNwwL8 "Sky turns to a deeper grey the sun fades by the moon hell's come from the distant hills tortures dreams of the doomed and they pray, yet they prey and they pray, still they prey"-- "Still They Prey" by Coughhttps://soundcloud.com/relapserecords/sets/cough-still-they-pray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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