Dead Still Dream

By Kifah Abdulla

Kifah Abdulla is a poet, writer, artist, and creator. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, he moved to the United States and Portland, Maine in 2011. As a young man, Kifah was a soldier in the Iraq-Iran war. He was captured and spent over eight years as a prisoner of war in Iran. Dead Still Dream is document through poetry of Kifah's experiences as a soldier, a prisoner, and a survivor. Kifah held a persistent vision of hope, peace, and love that carried him through the years of war and prison. These poems explore that vision.Several motifs reoccur through the first two sections of the book. Prison is symbolized as The Wall. A three part long poem called The Wall and Me recounts how the wall changes during his eight years behind it. The motif of The Assassin refers to the Torturer or Prison Warden, who becomes a caricature of ignorance, described in the three poems Dialog With The Assassin. Dreams, the opening section of the book, shows the wistful consciousness of survival through the years by continued remembrance and dreaming of the world beyond the prison. The final section of the book is a collection of poems about love, beauty, and life in the free world.The thirty-seven poems were translated from the original Arabic to English by Brook DeLorme, a Portland resident. The book is printed in both languages, with Arabic and English on facing pages.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1533033757
• ISBN13: 9781533033758
• Release Date: March 2016
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.3" x 6.1"