Nimah Ismail Nawwab

book reviewed: "The Unfurling"

by Nimah Nawwab

Selwa Press, California $14.99

reviewed by Stephen L. Brundage

When a flag is furled, it is rolled tightly against its staff; conversely, when it is unrolled, it takes the wind and flies. In the case of "The Unfurling," a new book of poetry by Saudi writer Nimah Ismail Nawwab , what is heard is the too-often silent voice of the Arab woman. Nawwab has earned recognition as a writer of magazine articles-usually lengthy and detailed pieces of objective prose. In this latest effort, she demonstrates a penchant for subjective, short pieces filled with emotion and intellectual curiosity.

The book is divided into three parts followed by a brief collection of short poems and haiku. Each part deals with a different level of human experience, from a woman trying to assert her individuality while maintaining both pride and reverence, to Islamic traditions, to an expression of her various roles as mother, wife, daughter and granddaughter. The book also discusses the global carnage and the restraints of societies and nations that use war, terrorism and intolerance to dim what ought to be a golden era in human history.

A poem by Nimah Ismail Nawwab

The Arabian jasmine's soft petals call out,

Sitti's voice echoes through,

The years trip past,

To the past.

Silvery braids brushing her waist,

Soft coils swinging in the breeze,

Crowned with the white stars of full,

Glittering in the early morning light,

Scooping the beloved blooms into water bowls,

Threading them into strings, rings, necklaces.