Kuwait, One Heart, in Poetry and Action... at the National Museum
As part of the eighteenth edition of the “Summer Cultural Festival,” currently held under the auspices of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, a national poetry evening titled “Kuwait, One Heart” took place at the Kuwait National Library. The event was attended by the Council’s Secretary-General, Dr. Mohammed Al-Jassar, as well as the Head of Cultural Activities, Fawziya Al-Ali, and the Director of the Cultural Affairs Department, Dalal Al-Fadli. The evening featured poets Abdullah Al-Filakawi, Al-Harith Al-Kharraz, and Dalal Al-Baroud. The session was moderated by Loujain Al-Nashwan, Head of the Social Committee at the Kuwait Writers Association, who opened the event with the opening lines of the national anthem: “My homeland, Kuwait, I pledge my loyalty to glory... And on your forehead, the star of fortune shines.”
Al-Nashwan remarked, “This anthem, which echoed in our throats when we were children and which we memorized before we even understood the meaning of the homeland, is nothing but poetic verses that condensed profound love into a few words. It managed to turn words into a melody that resides in memory, and the poem into a voice that has accompanied us since childhood.”
She added, “Throughout history, poetry has remained a voice that sharpens resolve, stirs determination, encourages sacrifice, and raises the banner when the homeland calls upon its sons. It has also been a voice of love, a memory of the land, and a record of the people’s emotions, dreams, and victories.”
She continued, “When expressions fall short of describing feelings, and letters scatter, we find in poetry ample space for the love of the homeland to manifest as it deserves, and to appear in its most splendid attire.”
She pointed out that the gathering at this evening brings us together to sing of our love for the homeland. “The Kuwait we know is not merely a land bounded by maps; it is a sea and a memory, houses and stories, the voices of mothers, the footsteps of fathers, and a childhood that never leaves us. Above all, it is a feeling that resides within us; whenever we try to describe it, words fail us, and the poem rescues us.”
Al-Nashwan first introduced poet Al-Kharraz, saying, “Our poet presided over the Forum of Young Creators at the Kuwait Writers Association and participated in numerous poetry evenings.”
She then introduced poet Al-Baroud, stating, “When poetry is written by a woman’s pen, it is imbued with tenderness and delicacy akin to a butterfly’s wing, and with wonder that allows us to see the world through different eyes... where poetry becomes a world in which word and imagination embrace, and the poem transforms into a story.”
She concluded, “Our poet today excelled in creating a poetic play titled ‘Shaden and the Magic of the Butterfly,’ which was nominated for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award. She is an assistant professor in the Arabic Language Department at the College of Basic Education.”
