Επιμέλεια: Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού
I hunted all broken promises,
Hid them in a jar made of tender earth,
Set them in the sunshine
To grasp its warmth,
And placed them under the generous rain
To grow and bloom like a rose.
I traded all my sweet memories
For a butterfly’s colours,
To paint the broken promises
With love and happiness.
I entrust them to the wind
To whisper them in people’s ears
Seeking a wish in the pocket of life—
A wish to seal the cracked walls of their souls.
The Soothsayer by Sihem Hammouda (TUNISIA)
She took his rough hand in hers,
Passionately embraced his soft gaze,
And then closed her enchanting eyes.
“A thorny path is awaiting you,”
The soothsayer whispered,
“With rubies, it is studded.”
A diamond escaped her eyes.
To his lips, he raised her trembling hand,
Kissed her palm, then reassuringly said:
“A wife’s satin touch can smooth the unevenness of life,
And a mother’s passionate prayer can remove unyielding mountains.”
“No charm can shield a soldier,”
The wife in disguise, tearfully continued,
“Against the fatal clasp of fortune.”
He was molded in his mother’s womb
And will end up in the earth’s womb;
So will all mortal souls.
Biography: Sihem Hammouda is a Tunisian author, translator, and educator. She has published the novel The Tunnel Girl, several short story collections including The Button Thief, and the poetry collection Arabian Roses’ Whispers. Her work has been featured in various international magazines. A specialist in English curriculum and literary translation, she bridges Arabic and English literature for global audiences.
