Poetry for ChangeWhat is your favorite genre of music?
If you’re like me, for every mood you find yourself in, you choose a different type of music. For me, when I’m happy and cheerful, I enjoy upbeat music that makes me move to its rhythm. When I’m upset, sad, depressed, I enjoy something calm, quiet, instrumental, or romantic.
So enjoy every mood with all the frills that come with each one.
If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?
After Covid, we became lazy and only wanted our comfort today, so, yes, I’d wear sweats over and over again. However, that doesn’t mean that I’ll not alter the colors nor forgo my usual style that goes hand in hand with comfort, color, color, and more color. That is all it takes for me to feel better!
https://www.amazon.ca/Perfectly-Flawed-poetry-Malak-Kalmoni/dp/1525582518
What quality do you value most in a friend?
The most important qualities in a friend, to me, are honesty and unfailing support no matter the situation. Those 2 are the building blocks of true friendships, for then, acceptance of faults and misbehavior become easily explainable and forgivable.
Friends
Fiendishly friendly, forever fearless, fever
Reverent, relief, reliable, readier
Involved, immovable, impossible, independent,
Empower, everlasting, encouraging, endearing,
Needing not lonely, knowing, negotiation,
Decisive, dragon-like, dangerous,
Solid, sturdy, subtle, spoken, spontaneous,
All are parts of being friends,
So much more there is that’s unbearable
Without them, as secrecy, lies, and envy
Have become the norm, while friends
Have become a rare commodity
Whose currency is spiteful and speaks
Loudly of material gain instead of friends.
Exert from my poetry book, Perfectly Flawed: poetry for change
https://www.amazon.ca/Perfectly-Flawed-poetry-Malak-Kalmoni/dp/1525582518
The poem:
Of All the Masks we wear
The masks we wear help us hide
Those parts that are vulnerable
Until the fear of being hurt fade.
It secretes your emotions to keep away trouble.
How do you conceal who you are?
How many facets do you portray?
How bearable is life without it thus far?
How is the fear of being exposed flay?
Those answers are subjective and need
Time to elucidate the importance of trust
That is reciprocated and revered.
Balance your fear and your extrovert in a bust
That embodies fears, ambitions, and beliefs
That make it difficult to be a part of the streams.
©️ Malak kalmoni chehab ©️
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?
So if ‘life’s a bitch, and then you die,’ you might as well enjoy it while you can. That doesn’t mean you can live only the way you want, uncaring about others. No, no, this means, that you enjoy each moment of fun by celebrating and appreciating it. Plus, any moments of sorrow and hurt, let them be your building blocks of strength. Yes, life’s unfair and can give you ‘lemons ‘, that doesn’t mean it can’t be bright, fun, and amazing. You only need to change your perspective to see it from a different angle.
Enjoy what you’re given, and own it.
When is the last time you took a risk? How did it work out?
I took a risk by publishing my poetry book during covid. That’s when we were under lockdown, and there were no book signings or shows to participate in. The result was no book sales, but I did my message out, and have a good following to show for my work.
A poetry book divided into 3 themes: Relationships, Social/ postcolonial criticism, Self-awareness/ growing.
Picture poetry contest on ‘The Writer’s Wave’ on Facebook. The poem ‘Haloed Memories ‘, from my poetry, Perfectly Flawed: poetry for change. Much appreciated!
To those who’ve experienced death from the earthquake:
My prayers for you are infinite in beseeching Allah/God to help you endure the devastation.
The miracles that have erupted after the earthquake are many and varied:
A newborn surviving 10 days under the rubble.
A young child tells her rescuers that she hasn’t been able to pray.
A father holding his daughter’s hand through the rubble till she was rescued
A 13 year old gas tunnel worker singing his praise to Allah as he works, while the earthquake devastated the area.
The financial aid, from Arab countries, that was sent to the 2 countries was astounding.
These and more reflect that believers still exist, and their prayers are getting answered.
Fragile paper hearts
Easy to tear,
but cuts
Like a bear.
Its unique shape
Lends to despair,
When it broke
By your hand and air.
Its unique shape
Rises into fullness,
Then dips in face
Of falsehood that pierce.
Look into its shape
That seems divided
Into yay and nay, a cape
Of vascillation that cried.
Its tear wails
Till eye sight is blind
With too many choices
And decisions that bind.
Oh ye who have
A paper heart,
Let its love
Blind you and don’t cut.
Book signing and presentation of my poetry book, Perfectly Flawed, at OLA Conference, Toronto Metro Convention Center.
It was a wonderful experience where the reactions of the attendees was an empowering experience! Interestingly, it’s black history month, and a few of my poems talk about this topic: Lives Matter, Subjugation, Value Defined, and more
Poetry for Change 