Dikra Ridha - Two Poems
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One Hour of Light
On the last Saturday March, households and businesses are invited
to turn off their lights for one hour in the evening to save energy
and reduce carbon emissions.
Dear Auntie, today, I turned off the electricity
for Earth Hour and thought of you in Baghdad.
You do that all the time, live with the lights off.
Though, it was a little difficult to find the right
tea bag and cut the cake in the dark, using a torch.
What did you do with your hour of light?
I heard it is often at four am or some silly hour;
you’d be too sleepy to watch the news or a black & white film.
Your hour On is not well timed to switch the heating on,
listen to old time songs, or just sit under the light
shade and stare into space. This routine
killed your fridge freezer. In my hour Off
I silenced the radio and enjoyed peace and quiet, ignored
the day’s chores and snuggled with a hot water bottle.
You spend all day in your coat waiting for the lights