This, my first book of verse, was published in 1987. I have revised it, added an introduction to each poem, and brought the writing up to current standards. It contains 44 rhymed poems, 8 of which are sonnets. Love and longing are the main themes that permeate this youthful work.If René Descartes had been a poet, he might have said, 'I feel, therefore I am.' If life is not felt, then, for the poet, it does not exist. Feelings are our windows to the world; through them we love, hate, desire, fight, flee, find happiness, joy, romance, satisfaction, sadness, and most importantly, develop impressions. Beauty is felt not seen; we see many things all the time, but one has to feel things to perceive them as beautiful. Moreover, all artistic creations are but renditions of our feelings and perceptions.The satisfaction we derive from any art form is through the feelings it evokes in us. Art emanates from feelings and evokes feelings. Poetry is one art form where feelings can be accurately recorded and in turn, reciprocally evoked. When you appreciate a poem, you really appreciate the feelings it evokes in you. It may make you feel love, sadness, nostalgia, pity, anger, beauty, or it may remind you of past feelings, experiences, impressions, and states. The poet does not always feel more deeply than others; the poet has the gift to record feelings in such a way that, whoever reads or hears these recordings, has similar feelings evoked.Feelings are emotions, and emotions are the basis for all human values. If something is important to us, we really are saying that we feel that it is valuable and significant. Without feelings we cannot evaluate, judge, react, experience life, have faith in God, or believe in anyone or anything. Feelings fuel life; they provide us with zest, zeal, energy, enthusiasm, and color. Honor, shame, pride, fear, patriotism, character, honesty, right, wrong, and all the spectra of human laws, histories, wars, cults, religions and civilizations are based on feelings.Feelings are not only important; they also are very personal emotions. I cannot understand a poem without some insight into the time, place, and circumstances under which it was written. In order to be able to identify with his or her feelings and appreciate their depth and beauty, I, also, need to know something about the life and personality of the poet. Therefore, I have provided for every poem an appropriate introduction to elucidate the emotional setting and the metaphorical meaning. Moreover, I have arranged the poems chronologically to allow the reader to see the inevitable growth and change that occur with time.Finally, my poetry has rhyme and rhythm. If it is read correctly, there is a lot of music in it that adds to its beauty and makes it easier to remember. These poems are feelings put to music via words. They are condensed, concentrated, intense, and provocative. To be appreciated, they should be recited and heard; reading them quietly or alone tempers their impact. Like all forms of art, poetry thrives only when there is a good audience. I wish I could read them to all of you.
About the Author: Growing up in Lebanon, Saadah listened to his mother's poems throughout his formative years and fell in love with verse. He began writing poetry at age ten and had his first English poem published at age 14. When he immigrated to the USA in 1971, he stopped writing in Arabic and mainly wrote in English. He has published four novels, many short stories, and, including this one, five books of verse. He is also a physician and lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, with his wife, Judy. His works are available on Amazon.com under: Hanna Saadah. His web address is: saadah.net