Snakes
and
Ladders
A brief biography of the poet
I
breathed
him
in
and
there
was
no
way
out
The
gust
of
longing
from
the
east
fills
my
lungs
It
sends
me
rolling
down
the
mountain
of
nostalgia
A
few
seconds
it
took
There
I
was
squatting
upon
the
ground
playing
Snakes
and
Ladders
My
stiff
hands
Searching
for
a
fresh
start
Yet
on
the
tattered
board
The
slithering
worm
erases
my steps
My
feet
slip
on
the
rungs
I
cannot
free
my
poems,
trapped
beneath
the
rocks
Or
reassemble
my
dismantled
thoughts
Wet
mouths
drizzle
A
crowd
of
fangs
unfurl
Turning
on
the
button
of
death
The
mother
snake
takes
over
my
body
The
victor
of
the
hour
distributes
her
lavish
gifts
Of
pain
and
sorrow
From
within
her
body
I
stare
Despair
Drowned
Gagged
and shackled
To
the wall of the world
The
remains of her thoughts
Lie
frozen on the desolate sea
Their
wreckage bore the scars
Of
intrepid
battles,
She
had once fought
Before
her shadow fell
In
the ghastly ditch of sorrow
Pallid
words left
The
last gasp
Of
a battered soul
Khaloud Al-Muttalibi is a poet and
translator. She resides in the United Kingdom.
Much of her work has been translated into various languages. Her poetry has been published in a vast array of worldwide literary magazines and journals, both in print and online. She has appeared in several books and anthologies. Her published works include Psalms under a London Sky, Under an Icy Sky, A Portrait of Uruk, and The Contemporary Iraqi Poetry Movement.
Much of her work has been translated into various languages. Her poetry has been published in a vast array of worldwide literary magazines and journals, both in print and online. She has appeared in several books and anthologies. Her published works include Psalms under a London Sky, Under an Icy Sky, A Portrait of Uruk, and The Contemporary Iraqi Poetry Movement.
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