Waxa qorey Sayid Maxamed Yuusuf "Dhegey"

Xilli aan sidaa u sii fogayn ayuu soo galay Qaadku dhulka soomaalida. Geedkaas oo ka baxa buuralayda sare ee dhulka Itoobiya iyo dhinaca Kiiniyaba. Wixii ka horreeyey lixdankii waxa uu ku koobnaa tiro aad u kooban oo u badnaa dadkii u safri jiray Itoobiya gaar ahaan dhulka uu ka baxo. Waxa kale oo uu aad ugu dhexjiray XERTA, oo iyaga laftigoodu lug ku lahaa deegaannada Itoobiya gaar ahaan magaalada Herer. Xilligaa hore si xawli ah kuma uu socon barashada ruugiddiisu, ee si yar ayuu u soo tallaabsanayey oo aad mooddo in uu ogsoonaa waxa ay ku danbayn doonaan dadka soomaalidu. Deegaannada soomaalidu degto ma uu soo gelin isku mar ee wuu ku soo kala horreeyey sida Jabuuti iyo Somaliland oo uu ka bilaabay qabsashadiisii ugu horreysay kana samaystay saldhigyo sida Hargeysa iyo Jabuuti. Dhinaca Kiiniya oo uu ka baxo jaad ka mid ah Qaadka, si dhakhso ah uguma uu soo fidin deegaamada soomaalidu degto. Qaadka ka baxa Kiiniya isna kama baxo dhul soomaalidu deggen tahay ee waa deegaan aanay soomaalidu gaadhin.

by Faysal Aw Cabdi Cambalaash. Translated by Rhoda A. Rageh with the permission of the author.

Abdi! Although I have abstained from poetry,
And have not for decades uttered a single sound.

The creative powers I have once had, and the
Melodious voice with which I used to convey,

I have lost the desire for poetry in recent years.
A moving emotion leaves me restless tonight,
Forcing me to say what you have been asking awhile.

In this world that some have aimed for higher galaxies.
In this world that some are trotting on the moon.
In this world scientists lead with scientific understanding.
In this world threatening each other with deadly nukes,
We are calmly chewing this poisonous grass.
Our entire thinking is reduced to chewing qat.
Our children are incarcerated in harsh prisons cells
Our girls and women exposed to dangerous habits.

The Independent — London, UK Khat brings a few hours of pleasure for the poor of Somaliland, and a valuable crop for its farmers. But many fear the effect of the drug's growing use among the young . By Kim Sengupta

The piles of khat at Parcharafi market were of prime quality, a luminous dark green, glistening in their wrappings of banana leaves. The muzzein's afternoon call to prayer had come and gone and a queue of buyers was forming to start the long, langorous hours of hallucinogenic chewing.