Winds of the Market

A Poem by Nimah Nawwab

Stepping out of the shiny car,

Wrapped in black silk studded with glitter

Face uncovered, hair modestly covered

Turning onto the busy street,

Striding next to jean-clad teenaged girls

Showing off their latest fashionable cloaks

Shoppers in a hurry, barely looking at each other.

Clanking bracelets, crying babies

Swishing thobes and sliding abayas,

The sweet smell of waffle-like ice cream cones

Shawarmah cooking on the spit,

Pita bread brushed with tahinah, filled with mint leaves,

Roasted slivers topped with tomatoes, pickles

Corn on the cob dribbled with butter,

Served on sticks, wrapped in plastic,

Lined up youngsters,

Awaiting popcorn, shawarmah, slush

Smells merging, wafting through the mall,

A hook.

Air-conditioned shops spotlighted in the mall

Indian cushions, Italian shoes

Swiss watches, Danish crystal

German garments, American gym shoes.

Every need catered for, every desire satiated

Cold, stiff, formal, efficient,

The zing of the cashier drawers,

The swoosh of the credit card,

I am done.

II

My mother's realm of quaint shops

Lantern lights falling onto fresh sweet meats

Vendors balancing heavy bundles of Egyptian cotton

Young boys strutting with trays of halwa,

Weaving through the crowd,

Shouting out the wares, their prices.

Graceful, quick hands

Pulling on the widening circles of dough,

Whirling the pastry discs in the air

Stuffing them with meat, green onions,

Folding them into mutabbaq squares

Each at their stalls,

Involved, busy, sweaty,

Strollers passing by, nodding to each other,

To the familiar and unfamiliar.

African ladies selling peanuts,

Measuring them out in blue tin cans,

Clicking against the sides of the container,

Soothing cradling strapped youngsters,

Beaming shop keepers,

Softly inviting,

Hospitality a must.

Wares from the region

Yemeni silver, Chinese brocade,

Syrian lamb wool cloaks,

Hand-made Najdi sandals, family-made Hijazi iqals,

Shown off with pride.

Haggling and bargaining

Taking up the time,

Carefully choosing, prudently selecting,

Paying in hard-earned coins,

As she leaves satisfied.

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* Mutabbaq a pastry prepared in Arabia and Yemen, means

folded up.

** Najdi and Hijazi refer to the central and western regions

of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

*** Iqal is a head band often woven in black that holds

men's headdresses in place.

About the Poet:

Nimah Ismail Nawwab is a Saudi poet descended from a long line of Makkan scholars. An English writer and poet as well as photographer, her essays and articles on Saudi society, customs, Islam, art, crafts, cuisine and calligraphy have been published in Saudi Arabia and abroad.

Her poems on women, freedom, Arabian society and the younger generation of Saudis as well as the universal themes of love, loss and simple joy are published online and in print.

She collects Saudi artifacts, Middle Eastern folkloric costumes, silver jewelry, Persian rugs, Nomadic weavings and pottery. She loves animals and enjoys listening to eclectic music, especially when writing poems; traveling, cooking and researching international dishes. Nimah lives with her husband and two children in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. She may be contacted at arapoet555@yahoo.com

Nimah's new volume of poetry 'The Unfurling; will soon be out and available through major online booksellers.