Poems from Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak

by Marc Falkoff (editor), Flagg Miller (Preface), Ariel Dorfman (Afterword)

Since 2002, at least 775 men have been held in the U.S. detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. According to Department of Defense data, fewer than half of them are accused of committing any hostile act against the United States or its allies. In hundreds of cases, even the circumstances of their initial detainment are questionable.

This collection gives voice to the men held at Guantánamo. Available only because of the tireless efforts of pro bono attorneys who submitted each line to Pentagon scrutiny, Poems from Guantánamo brings together twenty-two poems by seventeen detainees, most still at Guantánamo, in legal limbo.

If, in the words of Audre Lorde, poetry “forms the quality of light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change,” these verses—some originally written in toothpaste, others scratched onto foam drinking cups with pebbles and furtively handed to attorneys—are the most basic form of the art.

Death Poem by Jumah al Dossari
Take my blood.
Take my death shroud and
The remnants of my body.
Take photographs of my corpse at the grave, lonely.

Send them to the world,
To the judges and
To the people of conscience,
Send them to the principled men and the fair-minded.

And let them bear the guilty burden before the world,
Of this innocent soul.
Let them bear the burden before their children and before history,
Of this wasted, sinless soul,
Of this soul which has suffered at the hands of the "protectors or peace."

Jumah al Dossari is a thirty-three-year old Bahraini who has been held at Guantanamo Bay for more than five years. He has been in solitary confinement since the end of 2003 and, according to the U.S. military, has tried to kill himself twelve times while in custody.

Genres: Poetry, Politics, Nonfiction, Middle East, Terrorism, Religion, Anthologies

72 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2007

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems written by detainees at Guantanamo: no political commentary on my part; voices that make me wonder what price will ultimately be exacted by this terrible conflict we are still wading in - the shores of peace and war - equidistant.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5) It is remarkable that these poems exist, considering that they had to make it past military censors and into the hands of pro bono lawyers for translation. As poetry, though, I mostly found the pieces mediocre; only a few examples were noteworthy: “Two Fragments” by Shaikh Abdurraheem Muslim Dost, “Terrorist 2003” (almost more of a rap) by Martin Mubanga, and “Ode to the Sea” by Ibrahim al Rubaish. A couple individual lines also stood out: “My spirit is free in the heavens, while my body is overpowered by chains” and (of the captors) “They are artists of insults and humiliation.” Many of the poems feel psalm-like (i.e., scriptural in general), what with the praise for the deity and petitions for the speakers’ suffering to be seen and avenged.

[belisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

yani çaba güzel de şiir yok, belki birkaç dize...

[Megan Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A testament to the human spirit & the power of poetry. An essential read for Americans - for all people, really.

[arafat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humanity finds a voice in words that emerge from the depravity of the dark cells that are Guantanamo.

As Pakistani poet/scholar Sheikh Abdurraheem Muslim Dost writes: "I am flying on the wings of thought, And so even in this cage I know a greater freedom." Dost, released from Guantanamo in April 2005, was re-arrested by Pakistani intelligence after publishing a memoir of his imprisonment. He is still missing.

The short blurbs on the authors are as powerful and disturbing as the poems themselves.

[دانا · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, you can really feel how desperate many prisoners are to get released from Guantanamo Bay and to be back with their families. Many of the prisoners have not even had a court date or due process and are just sitting there with no evidence that holds up in court. Many do not even know when they will ever be released even after being held many years in the jail.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is a must read. More people in the United States, who likely have no idea of the atrocious treatment the "enemy combatants" get in Guantanamo, should read this. The poetry varies in its themes. There are some militant poems, and there are poems that simply present the poet's yearning for home. Some are only a couple of lines, and others are a bit longer. All of them are moving; the imagery rich and flowing. In addition to the poem, the book features supplementary material--the introduction, preface, and afterword-- by writers and scholars that put the poetry in context. Some readers may be tempted to skip this material, but the material puts the poetry in context as well as provide a good overview of some of the poetry styles and poetic devices these poets use, often drawing on various Arabic literary traditions. Personally, I was moved by Dorfman's afterword, which recalls the oppression in Pinochet's Chile, comparing it to what the U.S. is doing in Guantanamo to prisoners that, in many cases, are likely innocent or are held under dubious reasons (like the one held because he was caught wearing a Casio brand watch. Really? That is the reason the U.S. military gave; Casio watches are apparently preferred by Al Qaeda and similar organizations because they can be used as bomb detonators). We also learn the hardships and challenges of getting this poems published so we could read them. Overall, I wish for more people to read this book. It represents a set of voices in the "War on Terror" that is rarely heard. A set of voices suppressed in a place where, a prisoner is guilty until proven innocent, the exact opposite of what the U.S. supposedly stands for around the world.

[Denis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this collection of poems by Guantanamo detainees is a gut-wrenching experience. These poems do not give pleasure, but they are full of the painfully raw power of anger, humiliation, and anguish. I had a chance to meet the editor of the collection, who is an attorney for several detainees, and the obstacles that the government put in the way of getting even this small number of poems into print makes this volume all the more valuable.

These poems call out to be read by every American, as we all must bare the shame of outrages that have been committed in our names at Guantanamo. It will not be enough to close down the prison camp, and we will have begun to atone only when every man, woman, and child feels the sickening depth of our injustice and cries out "Never again!"

[ಥ_ಥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going into politics with this review. However, I think the poems speaks very loud and clear. It's a heavy read for so few pages.

Triwizard. Read all in bed.

[Ben Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredibly difficult read filled with deep pain. I could truly feel the desperation and oppression forced on those victims; I rallied with those who rose to fight, and sobbed with those could not do so any longer. The quality of each individual poem may not be equal but that only confirms the legitimacy and reality of those who suffered in Guantanamo.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re feeling sad about the election, just read anything about us foreign policy and it will cheer you up by assuring you that those in power have never cared about people and never will, regardless of partisanship

[قصي بن خليفة]

هذا الكتاب من أمتع ما قرأت فهو ينطق بلسان هؤلاء السجناء الذيم مُنعوا من التواصل مع العالم بالأغلال والتعذيب والحرمان. إلا إن الشعر سيبقى قوياً ووسيلة إعلامية تصل كل بيت وكل قلب
~~~~~~~~~
كتب المقدمة منظمة العفو الدولية والمحامي مارك فالكوف ولقد أبلوا بلاءاً حسناً. وبالذات المحامي مارك الذي بذل الجهد لنشر هذه القصائد
وعلى الرغم من وجود خمس قصائد أصلية فقط إلا انه كتاب رائع. القصائد الباقية وبداعي أمن أمريكا مترجمة من العربية الى الانجليزية ثم الى العربية مرة أخرى. وقلت في نفسي إذا كانت هذه القصائد المترجمة (مرتين) بهذه الروعة فكيف الأصل؟ ولعلهم ينشرون الأصل يوماً ما. أما المترجميَن العربيين الرائعين فأعتبرهما من نوادر هذا العصر، والذي لا تكاد تجد فيه ترجمة أدبية بمعنى الكلمة وإنما ترجمات حرفية ضعيفة لا تكاد تميزها عن ترجمة جوجل
~~~~~~~~~
في غوانتنامو 29 حدثاً لم يبلغوا الثامنة عشرة ومنهم أحد الشعراء وعمره 14 سنة! ومن أهداف التعذيب اجبارهم على العمل لصالح أمريكا كجواسيس، شهدت بذلك أكثر من قصيدة. ولكن معظمهم له إيمان كالجبال، وتجد في القصائد أثر الايمان وقوة المؤمن الواثق بالله

[Johara Almogbel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to cry. Of all the books I own, this one, a thin hardback of only 72 pages, is the most important, which is why I left it till the end of the challenge.

The poems between the covers may not be the best prose, but what they lack in literatal composition they make up with the strongness of their expressiveness. I loved every single piece, and with me not being a fan of poetry. It's loud, it's strong, and it's heartbreaking. My only gall with it is my need to read the poems in their original language. Translation took a lot of the magic the Arabic prose would have provided.

Read it. You have nothing to lose, certainly nothing what these men have lost already.


(ps. I didn't really like the introduction by Flagg Miller.)

[Lilith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is both wondrous and horrifying - it's wondrous that somewhere along the line it was allowed exist, and horrifying that it does. The poetry is moving, swamped in anguish and pain, and illustrative of a dehumanization and cruelty that flies in the face of any modern conception of human rights. It was very painful to read, and is painful to digest, but it was equally moving and inspiring. Recommended to any who are capable of seeing it as more than rhetoric.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is what it is. Whether or not the poetry invokes generalities of suffering or abstract, sweeping concepts seems to be beside the point. The fact that these may be the only words these men could invoke during a time of intense stress is to me something completely different, and the fact that lawyers upon lawyers had to fight to even bring *these* words to the public eyes says much more.

I wonder what it is we're doing anymore.

[Samra Said · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a situation where one is hopeless and loss; these men have illustrated to the humanity how well they have occupied their time; seeking poetry to spread their stories; words which reflect their pain; torture; and suffering written by ink showered by blood tears; and sorrow. Yet despite all this they have shown they will not give up. These prisoners taught me that indeed patience is the key; that no matter how long the suffering is; it will end someday.

[Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this brief collection of poems twice in the past six months, and will be reading it again soon. It's a chance to actually see the lives of a few of these prisoners close up, and in their own words. It's also a grim and sobering report on how far the US government has drifted from being a country that respects the rights and hunanily of everyone.

[hh · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is what poetry is for. wish i could read the arabic originals.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wrote about this book in the Portland Phoenix.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. Absolutely amazing. I feel changed after reading it, after imagining what was not able to be said by these men. I believe everyone should read this collection of poems.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with Angel that this book must be read.

As for the additional material, I believe the Chilean poet got it far more correct than the American linguist/anthropologist.

[Hans Ostrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting.

[Teshamae · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poems aren't always steller, but the book provokes thought about the American treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo. Every American should read it.

[Grady Ormsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the full power of poetry. Anger, fear, compassion, justice, injustice

[Abdullah Başaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siirler daha iyi çevrilebilirdi. Arapça'nin hiçbir duygu dolu kelime zenginligi aktarilamamis. Tamam adamlar anadan üryan sair degil de, ruhsuz da degiller.

[Fatima E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the absolute most important books of poetry out there.

[Rose Annable]

A text like this raises a conundrum regarding a star rating: other than a couple of exceptions, the actual poems in this collection aren't necessarily much to write home about. However, the fact that they exist at all, let alone in a collection produced and sold in the U.S, is utterly remarkable, and its importance in allowing those detained in Guantanamo to give voice to their experiences cannot be understated. Plus, to 'rate' on literary merit such raw expressions of suffering/hope/loss/shame feels wrong somehow - by rating it low would I be saying that I am not moved by or sympathetic to the horrors faced by the poets in this collection? Is it possible to produce any rating which entirely detaches the work from its creators, or the circumstances in which it was created, in this instance? I'm not sure the author is that dead yet...

As such, I don't think I'm going to give it a numbered rating. I will, however, say that the paratexts in this collection are of varied use. The biographies given before each poets work are often as shocking and moving as the poetry itself, and the afterward is beautiful. The introductory essay by Flagg Miller, on the other hand, seems wholly out of place, and is pretty much utterly useless.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea behind this book is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. This is a collection of poetry written by people who were imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, often smuggled out or reconstructed from memory. It’s pretty eye-opening, especially as a lot of the poets were never charged with a crime before eventually being released.

[Laiba Riaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a horrifying and heavy read in just 72 pages. Wish to read the pusto originals of the poems written by two pathan brothers from Peshawar.

I am flying on the wings of thought,
And so, even in this cage, I know a greater freedom.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection, accompanied by short descriptions of our poets and their situations, provides us insight into the minds of Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Unimaginable mental and physical anguish over the course of years poignantly penned.