Abduction and Reunion in Poetry

Abduction and Reunion in Poetry

Bruce Von Stiers

Parental child abduction is not a new thing. It has been going on for decades, even centuries. Because of certain laws and cultures, if the abductor is the father, the mother has little recourse. Especially if the father is Middle Eastern and takes the child to his home country.

This is the foundation for a volume of poetry by Franco-Syrian poet Maram Al-Masri. The volume is titled The Abduction. It was published by White Pine Press. Some of Al-Masri's other published works include Barefoot Souls and Liberty Walks Naked.

The Abduction was translated from French into English by Helene Cardona. She has translated several volumes of poetry. Cardona is also a published poet, including the critically acclaimed volume, Dreaming My Animal Selves. She is also an actor, appearing in films such as Chocolat, Serendipity, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

There is a Foreword for the volume from Pulitzer Prize winner Diane Seuss. That is followed by a multi-paged Introduction from Cardona.

The volume begins with a poem titled Nine Months. This is a celebration of pregnancy and the upcoming birth of a child. Then there are several poems about the growth of a baby into a toddler and the ebbs and flows of the mother/ son dynamic.

With These Two Hands tells of how she is preparing things for a trip her husband is taking their son on. She packs her son's finest clothes, a water bottle, and some food. Little does she know what her husband is about to do. Which is to take their son to Syria and not bring him back.

What follows are angst filled poems as Al-Masri deals with not having her son with her. But as much as there is angst, there seems to be a glimmer of hope that she will be reunited with her son.

Then, near the end of the volume, there begins the re-uniting of mother and son.

The final poem in the volume is a wonderful ode to parenthood titled Why Do We Love Them?

There is an addition to the volume that is titled The Bread of Letters. It features two poems about the act and art of writing.

I have read several firsthand accounts of parental child abduction and its aftermath. But, until now, I hadn't read such an account written as poetry. The Abduction was filled with great poems that showed angst, betrayal, fortitude, and hope.

The Abduction was awarded an Albertine and FACE Foundation Grant for excellence in publishing and translation. It has also been endorsed by several noted poets, including Cynthia Hogue, Martha Collins, Cyrus Cassells, and Lauren Camp.

The Abduction is currently available at selected book retailers such as Amazon.

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