A Spark of Innocence is a teenager’s view of the world. I was touched by the author’s wish to share her poems: “Having my poetry published was one of my goals” says Hasnaa Alkhateeb.
Born in Jeddah in 1991, Hasnaa has been writing since the age of twelve. Nurtured by caring parents, she acknowledges their constant support. “She was empowered with inspirations ... I was impressed and pleasantly surprised. I took her hand, encouraged her and helped her through her journey which has only started,” says her mother.
The forty two poems in the book are short but evocative. Overwhelmed by intense feelings, Hasnaa has translated her emotions into words. At fourteen, she manifests her hate for violence and racism in a poem entitled “What’s happening to the World?!!”. A year later, she composes “That’s the Painful Truth”, a passionate plea against violence and injustice. Both poems were published in the Arab News in 2006 and 2007.
This desire to express one’s opinions in a poem proves that poetry is still a popular form of literature in the Arab world and the subcontinent. When only a few people in the West are interested in attending a poetry reading, the late Palestinian writer Mahmoud Darwish filled football stadiums with thousands of men and women excited to hear the superstar poet recite his passionate verses.
A well known contemporary poet in the United States might only sell a few thousand copies of his poetry, whereas in the Arab world, poetry is still revered and seen as expressing the soul of a nation. Poetry is a true form of art and as such it represents something of the world and arouses strong emotions.
In a poem entitled, “Is it worth it”, Hasnaa hopes that her generation and the next are able to change the world to a better place to live in.
Every night I lie on my bed thinking...
Wondering
People are crying...fighting...dying
When will the world change...will it ever
change?!!
Did people lose their humanity?!!
Racism is in every country...
Young children live on the streets...
Because of abusing...addicting parents
Later on they become the same...
Its like a movie rewinding over and over
again..
Is that why we were brought to this world?!!
To destroy each other!!
To see our brothers and sisters suffer!!
I’ll say this now...and I’ll keep on saying it...
Just think about it...Is it worth it?!!
STOP wars...STOP racism!!
WE “the young generation” can do it!!
They don’t know yet...but soon they will see
How we can change this world so easily!!
One wonders why people, especially adolescents, still choose poetry as a form of expression. Poetry unlike prose often stems from a burning desire to express the unspeakable. Yet, poetry does not have to be difficult to understand. It should not be challenging. Indeed, Hasnaa’s poems are a cry from the heart, sincere and pure, a glowing “spark of innocence”.
