We Can Fall

Fallen rock

From a mountain top

It seem so small

Yet before the fall

It was unbeatable

Just like you are

All up there

On a mountain top

Strong like a rock

You think you are

You reached so far

You could hardly fall

You think unbeatable

Copyright Nasra Al Adawi 2017 

Unforgettable Woman

The challenge began for me.. “how would I ever   write about women with cancer”… to reflect their life in living beyond cancer. In 2002, I was just beginner poet, who had just collection of poetry for children touched by cancer.

I was in an ambiguous situation ….. I was tasked to portray stories of Omani women conquered cancer. For me cancer was about loosing my Dad and poetry was a therapy to overcome my grief of losing my father.

I thought it is easy, collection of poem. Donate them to Oman Cancer group that was back in 2003. My task was over, the group will make a book and proceeds will be a contribution for the group. However the people of behind the group they worked for a cause to spread cancer awareness and educate people about cancer. They did this passionately and I guess they wanted me to truly learn and it was not just making about. It was making the difference in others.

I was set to a journey to find out more about breast cancer and how it changes women life ..Omani women..Their stories were essential to inspire others who are battling cancer. There I was heading to Al Khodh to one of the ladies to capture her story …Naela Al Marhoobi.. Her house had a sense of serenity, and there I was seated near the window. When she came greeted me in a smile, had radiant glow on her face.

I was nervous, I thought to myself this is easy. What’s so difficult in taking a story, I planned that I will approach it in telling her my side of story and how I understand her and connect with her through my loss.. my father and what cancer means to me.

As Naela narrated her story, on the  first instance to receive the news that she has cancer. She told the Doctor “Al Hamdullillah (Thank God)”. The doctor was foreign doctor so he called a nurse to explain to her thinking that she did not understand and she replied back “ Al Humdilliah”. Al Humiddliilah for good and for the calamity she explained to the doctor. The same happened when she arrived home to receive a call from her husband on how the check up went. She replied “ Al Humdilliah”, when he arrived home he started to panic when she broke the whole news to him. For her it was Al Hudllilah the acceptance of whatever Allah gave her whether good or bad news. Her faith and believe was the strength in coping and over coming cancer.   She continued to tell me all about her journey to be a survivor, so calm and with no single tear. As I was noting down, I started breaking down and cried. I could not take it, she was beautiful person having a mountain of faith.

I will not forget as she told about chemo and its effect. I could still imagine her standing there in the bathroom shaving her head due to chemo. Her 9 years old daughter came in and asked “why Mama you are shaving your”. Naela explained to her and without a word her daughter started to help. It was magical to hear her daughter telling her how beautiful she was being bold.

After a year I accomplished printing the book, unfortunately, Naela was admitted in hospital, another battle with cancer. I went to see her , I was like an old friend and was proud of me that I was able to accomplish.

Togather with her husband ..she battled cancer furiously and was able to see her first son get married.  With another battle with cancer, we lost Naela . Al Humdillah for I was lucky enough to meet her as she touched me and taught me in no matter how much ones calamity. Take it to Allah, your path will be smooth.

Last year, in middle of business meeting I was stopped by a young man. Who asked me if I was the same person who wrote a book on cancer. It happened to be her son , he asked for a copy of the book. After 10 years, I step in to the same house sat next to the window facing two glowing faces, Naela son and daughter and there I was telling how their mother was to me.   “Unforgettable Woman”

Though I barely knew her she was symbol of strength and I hope those who read her story will be inspired just like me.

Naela was among people who inspired me to write poem on cancer   titled So You are

So You are the famous Cancer…
You came in without invitation
Invaded my life without my permission
All this time your were invisible from my sight
Now you have declared your existence-giving me a fright
Expecting me to fall……
Without even fighting or having any role
Changed the process of my life in a storm
I cannot let you take over my body-my home
I just can not live in fear……
You fill me with pain that I can not steer
So much pain to endure…..
I will prevail beyond any strike- never falter
I'm a survivor

~You light the world~

Funny, a photo by blaine davis on Flickr.

~You light the world~

You light the world
Your smile takes me of the ground
I reflect to you in a smile
Despite our own pain, all is worthwhile
A cheer that turns us a round
To end our despair and wound
You smile elevate us to your sphere
Nothingness, you have fueled it in joy
The bliss of simplicity brings a shiny smile
And you are in the amidst of this core
That alights all of my world

Copyright 2013 Nasra Al Adawi

~Uncover your Future~

Open the door of your mind and see the light, a photo by Pete Georgiev on Flickr.

While He was away …

Reality hits that He has gone with no return 

Loneness had fallen 

A curtain of dark shadow placed inside

The urging question continued to knock 

Repetitively asking the daring question 

This lonesome is it a journey? 

Or perhaps a short stop than one has to take

Aches, denial, refusal of this feeling 

On whatever emotion that had taken place

You wonder if you can allow yourself to just cry 

Letting out a burning cry that was meant to erupt 

Yet, pride stands on the way 

Telling you that you are a strong woman

A rock that had fallen from a mountain 

When a rock falls, no one hears its cry 

What had stayed inside is a story remained untold 

The pain suppressed, your rock is really a fragile glass 

Cracking little by little if it continues to be unresolved 

Face it Ms rock, let go.. let your tears out

Once you were a part of mountain, now you are the charisma of a rock

Loneness can be a statement, yet it’s not a forever status

You will learn to mingle with the wind,

Once you have dared, now you will feel and touch the rain 

Not only that you will discover new unexpected journeys 

You will allow yourself to freely travel with wadies 

A travel that you would never think can take place

This will occur little by little ..

All will happen in its due time 

It will only be in your hands to take the undiscovered journeys

Allow yourself to not fear it, rejoice the unknown

The undiscovered will be a new opened door 

Welcome to the future with an open embrace 

Copyright August 2013, Nasra Al Adawi

Enough of Fake Tears

Golden tears, a photo by andrea francesco on Flickr.

Hush….
Don’t spill crocodile tears
I’m no longer moved
I’m no longer torn apart
This woman is done with your lies
You are dead and gone in my heart
So where are you positioned
A history with lessons vigorously learned
Trig all your threats
Nothing pierces this heart
Once again, hear it from me
I have fallen deaf to your lies
Now turn around: Head back to where you came
You are dead and gone in my heart
Your chapter forever closed

Copyright 2011 Nasra Al Adawi

(this beautful photos is from flickr.cm by Andrea Francesco)

DHL ships copies of Omani book on cancer to Tanzania

18 May 2008MUSCAT -- As part of the company's corporate commitment to sustainable communities, DHL Express Oman recently supported the transport of 1,500 copies of Nasra al Adawi's book Brave Faces: The Daring Stand Against Cancer to Tanzania. The book will be used as a tool by organisations and volunteers to help create awareness about breast and cervical cancer in the country. "Nasra's entrepreneurial spirit and support of underprivileged individuals in their endeavours to access quality information about cancer, is inspirational. This is in line with DHL's strategy that is derived from three concepts, investing in people, the community, and environment," commented Geoff Walsh, DHL Express Country Manager, Oman."We are very proud to support Nasra's unique efforts to raise awareness about cancer in Tanzania. Her work is rooted in humanitarian and charitable issues, and she has dedicated her time to educating women about the illness, instilling hope, and contributing to a sustainable environment," Walsh added. The book consists of a collection of intense poetry and personal stories of women who have endured the struggles of cancer and have survived the battle. Born in Zanzibar and raised in the UAE, Nasra has balanced the content of the book to include poetry, professional medical advice, and first person accounts from women who have undergone the physical and emotional pain of cancer."In this book I have taken the opportunity to give tribute in prose and poetry to honour those African women whom I have met, who are coping with either breast or cervical cancer. The bravery of each of these individual women has been my inspiration and I am very thankful to DHL for delivering the books and helping spread my message to women in Africa who are still reluctant to talk about cancer. Breast and cervical cancer are among the most common cancer types in Tanzania," said Nasra. Nasra has a long history in writing poems, articles, and books about cancer and giving the proceeds from sales to children suffering from cancer in Oman. The Tanzanian Breast Cancer Foundation and the South African Health Foundation for Cancer will launch the book in Tanzania by the end of May. It has been written in Swahili and English.
By Staff Reporter
© Oman Daily Observer 2008

Brave Faces: The Daring Stand Against Cancer

Brave Faces: The Daring Stand Against Cancer is a book entwined through stories and poetry. True Stories on women who suffered with breast cancer and cervical cancer in Tanzania, it had started with a dream, a small dream that one day I would like to try to find a way to contribute with poetry to the cause of cancer in Tanzania. Having being born in island called Pemba which is close to Zanzibar in Tanzania, had not flickered that dream. Knowing my father had so much passion for Zanzibar and his death due to Cancer, kept me hoping that if I can, one day would like to write for Tanzania. However, it sounded so impossible, yet Almighty had another plans for me when he put me through H. A. Hamoud Al Jabry, who is business consultant, who made it possible for me to reach that far. Reaching Tanzania would have been an impossible mission for me but seeing myself landed in Tanzania meeting women and officials, with delicate flame trying to light up hope, it seems just like movie or a story of someone esle. Now having to have my book launch day which set in Oman on 30th of October 2007I call it miracles.

I still have many challenges ahead, some of them are not easy road, as the ultimate goal for the book not only bringing voices of women with breast cancer but to try to help Ocean Road Cancer Institute to secure a mammogram machine. This book was possible because of collective fingerprints of those who have gone out of their way to assist me in creating this book. I can not have done it without them…

~Hear Your Voice~

Take every step
Face the waves
Urge your heart to be brave
Be ready to face the blows
Don’t wonder which path is easy
Bare feet walking on ice
Or walking on .re
Which one burns more
Hotter than the other?
Don’t ask “why this pain”?
Do we ever ask “ why this laughter”?
Naturally accepting the glee
Always questioning the sadness and tears
You’re given another chance to live
Hear your voice, embrace life’s miracles

(from the book Brave Faces)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Book Reviews

Review Written by Floots

at http://i-land-i-site.blogspot.com/

Perhaps it will seem strange to some that I, as a man, feel moved to review, and hopefully encourage others to read, this book. The truth is that cancer in its many forms touches most of us in some way: in my case it stole both of my parents and has undoubtedly left me with my own latent fears and an unspoken empathy with those who are struck by it and, of course those who are close to them.

Nasra Al Adawi deals with breast cancer and cervical cancer and does so in a unique and comprehensive way. She uses professional, medical advice to let her readers learn more about the illnesses but, equally importantly, she uses her own poetry, and that of others, together with first person accounts from women who have undergone the physical and emotional pain of cancer.

The truth is that these particular cancers carry so much emotional weight in terms of self-image and sexuality and it is vital that these aspects are dealt with as they are within these pages. The Route, one of the poems, sums it up all too well: “The path of living is not a silky route.” Brave Face speaks of “wailing inside.”Then, moving on to the first person accounts, we learn from Jane Doe about the suffering of loved ones: the cancer can have a profound effect upon them. I think that we can easily “understand” this in a cool, objective way but hearing it from a patient gives the knowledge new meaning and impact.Should money be an issue in the treatment of such illnesses? Obviously not - but reality says otherwise and we can see this in the writing of Farida Bawazir.Or look at the words of Jane Smith, and remember that she did not survive.These brief references cannot do justice to the whole book. I was put in mind of John Hersey’s Hiroshima, which gives us insight into that tragedy by letting us here of it from the viewpoint of those who were there.

Nasra Al Adawi gives us the same privilege when dealing with her topic. It is a book for all: men, women, sufferers, non-sufferers, friends and loved ones. Let this book give your information, advice and, above all, inspiration. As the author says in her poetry, “face the waves” and deal with “the trenches of life.” This is a book full of reality, hope - and heart. Read it now.

Review

~Finding a power beyond the line of life ~

By Balqis

Link: http://cheladirittaviaerasmarrita.blogspot.com/

If a person motivation in life, could be summarised in one line only, I'd definitely say that this is Nasra al Adawi motto and not a coincidence is in one of her latest poems .Compassionate and generous as always, her third book was presented a couple days ago in Intercontinental and all the profits [it can be found in any bookshop for 2 rials only] will be given to a noble cause : creating awareness about cancer and helping Tanzanian hospitals in buying modern equipments to fight the famous cancer who came in without invitation .The book, presented in a lovely graphic layout, meets with Nasra idea of poetry as a way of expression strictly related to all the other forms of art .Is written both in English and Swahili and contains not only her poems but also stories of survivors and their own lyrics and thoughts .The poetess seems trying to exorcise the painful memories of her lost parent [himself deceased cause of cancer] by a journey through that Africa which is deeply rooted in her existence [her mother is Omani while her father is Tanzanian and she lived for many years in the Emirates ] .

Hers is a complex walk within deadly diseases and difficult environments of a developing country, but also and above all, through the voices of brave women who fought and won their enemy .She has found in Zanzibar and in all Africa a home for my heart.

Nasra uses her natural gift of turning feelings into musical words, to give relief to our daily sufferings by reminding that everything comes from God and is there for a purpose :Don't ask "why this pain" ?Do we ever ask "why this laughter" ?Her love for Africa is the love we must have for the entire humanity cause too often we're chained in our egoism forgetting those in needs or placing barriers between us and the others .She invites us all to celebrate the poetry of life and to embrace life's miracles .Hope many will buy this book and learn that generosity has no time and space either.

Today we're helping Dar es Salaam but tomorrow it might be Oman or Yemen and there's no shame in this nor is a matter of nationality .We are all human beings on earth.

~Review~

Don Iannone

Poet and organizational changeconsultant,

Cleveland , Ohio , U.S.A.

http://poeticalchemist.wordpress.com/

Nasra Al Adawi is an amazing woman of courage. Her courage comes from her pure compassion. Brave Faces is profoundly important to all of us. Cancer was the thief taking my mother when she was just 59, and it has touched the lives of many other loved ones and friends. Nasra’s poetry speaks to the courage, love, and hope cancer victims and their loved ones need so desperately.

This book should be available in every hospital waiting room across the world. That’s how important I believe it is.

~Review ~

Sokari Ekine,

Activist, Blogger and Online Editor of Pambazuka News English,

Port Harcourt, London,Granada, Nigeria

http://www.blacklooks.org/

Brave Faces is a book of compassion and courage. The compassion of Nasra Al Adawi and the courage of the women cancer survivors. I had my own encounter with cancer 7 years ago so I know the journey through cancer takes courage; it also takes courage to speak of that journey. The testimonies in Brave Faces are told through personal stories and poetry that speak to this courage, the loneliness, the anger and the pain of loosing that most precious part of our femininity - our breasts.

Nasra asks “... is it sensible to fight cancer with poetry”?
My answer is though I wish I had had this book with me on my own journey, I thank her for bringing it to me now because the memories remain and the healing is not yet complete.

~Review~

Krystyna Smagacz

http://behappy-krystyna.blogspot.com

Nasra Al Adawi is not only a big writing talent, but she also has a genuine affection for people with cancer. "Brave Face" is a wonderful, inspirational book that couses tears and brings hope too. Read the book. You won't regret it and you will not forget it soon..

The Journeys

Journey to inner freedom...
Originally uploaded by carf

~The Journeys~

How I wish I could write
About the journeys I take inside
Some pursue the fear that holds me back
Some pursue the tears that crumble me down
And all I want just then is to give up
I’m finding a power beyond the line of life
Picking me up from bruising falls
Yet the amazing part is writing
On how I conquer my world!
It’s with a little tiny smile
That gives me power to face life
Finding a reason to appreciate it all
My inner journeys

copyright 2007 Nasra Al Adawi

Photo with thanks by Carf at flicker.com titled by "Journey to inner freedom" (Togather with the following qoute)

“The inner journey is a passionate inquiry into our own soul, our own personal field of experience. It’s not enough to be passionately involved in a subject or pursuit that we are interested in learning more about; we have to be passionately involved in our own process. We need to inquire into and study our own state, our own soul; our inquiry has to be about what is relevant to us personally.” - A. Hameed Ali

So confident...
Originally uploaded by carf

I was seraching for a photo that could go with my word a little that I knew that CARF is not about a photographer, its about The Children At Risk Foundation – CARF which was founded by Gregory J. Smith in 1992, benefiting the street children of Brazil by defending their rights and offering them a dignified and definitive solution so that they could live and grow within a family-oriented context and healthy social environment. The potrait of children here is just few of how the smile of change,after finding a light and a new life.

Please take time to click the photo above to see collection of children at risk. Then take time to read the work of CARF in http://www.carfwebnet.blogspot.com/

THE DEVIL WITHIN

Dark & light stairs 2
Originally uploaded by gh100

Inspirational Poetry Droplets Donated by Friends

Meeting Jawad Al Bahrani was purely a coincidence. While I was proofreading the Swahili of my book Brave Face: The Daring Stand Against Cancer, my journey of my writing were led to him. Despite being so occupied with his work, he made time to assist me. After few days he completed reading the book, at that time he told me not to be afraid as writing is power that can create history, his words had lighted a flame of calmness absorbing my anxiety. However I never expected that the stories of each woman in Brave Faces would have inspired him to contribute in poetic thoughts. His poem The Devil Within has been translated from Swahili to English.

THE DEVIL WITHIN

Oh, my fellow human being
Here is my regards from within
I carry my words, my message to you
With only hope you will accept it
To absorb my words with patience
The will of God, you ought to accept it
Its not you are lost but agony had struck
All within you in fate you did not expect
When hardship occurs, it turns your head around
As when fate falls unnoticed
Pours hardship, burden and bitterness
Good memories disappears
Sweet things taste bitter
Let us not forget the will of God
Take no delay when you notice some signs
A boil or a swell inhibited your body
To a doctor rush, show what your saw
Seek medical advice, you better check thoroughly
But never ignore the unusual on your body
There is a devil cancer
Who is around in town
Picking on anyone no matter who they are
This devil penetrates in your body remains
Spreads in your home with evil intentions
Takes residence in your stomach, your breasts or anywhere else
A destroyer within, just on mission to destroy your health
Sucking out happiness and sadness will overcome you
It will fade your happiness and inflates you with fear
Yet it betrays some others till they meet their end
It needs braveness and dosage of courage
And a very strong heart
These are the best weapons to protect you against this devil
Do not believe it's your end, by allowing you hope to fade
Choose what is worth
Those who are brave never accept defeat
Don’t stop to try, trying again and again
Never undermine the guts of your will
Be real brave holding a strong heart
Let no defeat steer your way
Show that your are the best
Never believing the impossible,
Just take the reins on your good intentions


© 2007, Jawad Ibrahim Ahmed Al Bahrani