Farah Hashim

My Home Land

Dark days, starvation, innocent people, and death; the way our life had started. We were all scared and worried into fears, not knowing what is going on. While the first bomb had began a person's life had ended. Bombs were running one after the other. The mornings had turned into nights. People shouting hoping that there might be another chance, the dark days had begun.

The first day of war was horrifying. I was sleeping with my family as the first bomb had begun. We were all really scared and jumped out of bed immediately. We did not know what is going on although we knew that something bad is happening and we might not make it alive. My family was all gathered and went up to the roof to see what is happening in our country. We saw fire, people running; people dead such women's, men's, and children. i did not know what to do but I saw a hand around me, my grandmother's had. She hugged me tight and started calming me. She closed my eyes and said "everything will be okay".

That night no one had any sleep although we were lucky a bomb did not hit us. The next morning we all found out that war is starting. All of our neighbors had left no one but us stayed behind. My grandma said we can not go on. We had to all stay together because this is our home. We didn't know if that was a good idea or not but we had no choice. We were not allowed to go out and the only place we can be is home.

We had a strong love for our country. We all had love and had good memories before the war. Maybe that is the reason we all stayed together. We had happy days in Iraq. Our lives were beautiful and filled with hope and love. No fears or death. But days were changed and brand new challenges we were supposed to face. Life was hard but that is the way it had to be. We always have our ups and downs but we never give up hope.

"My Home Land" the song that always connects me to my country. It is our national anthem; the great song that brings us together tight. It gives us hope and joy. It gives us a feeling we are safe. It gives us motivations to bring our country back. That song was singed in a light morning where love was gathered but we were in a dark night were hate had surrounded. But if we all stick together the nights will go back to mornings and the hate will return into love.

This song means a lot to me, I heard it on the first night of war. My uncle had sung it to us. He told us this is our anthem. These words are the answer to our prayers. They spoke the truth and screamed the words we were afraid to shout. "My homeland, My homeland

Glory and beauty, Sublimity and splendor

Are in your hills, Are in your hills

Life and deliverance, Pleasure and hope

Are in your air, Are in your Air

Will I see you? Will I see you?

Safe and comforted, Sound and honored

Will I see you in your eminence?

Reaching to the stars, Reaching to the stars

My homeland, My homeland

My homeland, My homeland

The youth will not tire, 'till your independence

Or they die, Or they die

We will drink from death

And will not be to our enemies

Like slaves, Like slaves

We do not want, We do not want

An eternal humiliation

Nor a miserable life

We do not want

But we will bring back

Our storied glory, Our storied glory

My homeland, My homeland

The sword and the pen

Not the talk nor the quarrel

Are our symbols, Are our symbols

Our glory and our covenant

And a duty to be faithful

Moves us, moves us

Our glory, Our glory

Is an honorable cause

And a waving standard

O, behold you

In your eminence

Victorious over your enemies

Victorious over your enemies

My homeland, My homeland"

Maybe we did not turn our country back to the way it was. And some gave up although we had no choices left. Our country was taken over also our flag had currently changed. Many of us had moved away and many wish they could go back to the great memories we had. But that is not much the case anymore. We can't change much anymore. We are who we are today. Although we might be far away it is still part of us, part of who we are part of who we will become. I am who I am and maybe some day I will go back. But my hope will never change. Although maybe I cant do much to help put. But I would like to make my country proud of me and I am forever proud to be Iraqi.