Ashraf Amer

Por: Ashraf Amer

PROMETEO
Latinoamerican Poetry Magazine
No 81-82. July 2008.

(Egipto, 1958) He is like this
He is not clever at playing chess

THE WARRIOR

He is like this
He jumps far with the pawns
Far
He always
Imagines that when the king
Feels hungry without his soldiers
He will go to meet the people
Queuing to buy bread
Or at the sources of the river
In a well-meaning attitude
Well meaning
Always
Always
Throws soldiers into fire
Leaders into the unknown
And innocent people
Into painful need and humiliation

The warrior comes
The warrior flees
Pawns die
By War
Or frost
And the king remains a king
In defiance of everyone!

ASHRAF AMER is an Egyptian poet and journalist. He wrote six collections of poems and two collections of poems for children. Most of his poetry was published in most of the prestigious Egyptian and Arab newspapers and magazines. Some of his poems have been translated into some foreign languages including English and Spanish. He wrote a number of songs for very famous singers from Egypt, Algeria, and Palestine including the “Martyr Anthem” that has become one of the national anthems of Algeria for which he was honored by the Algerian Writers Union and the Martyr Society. Ashraf also wrote songs for some children plays and TV series. He participated in a number of poetry and cultural activities in Egypt and the Arab world and supervised the cultural seminars for the Bahraini Ministry of Education for seven years. He has been practicing journalism for 30 years during which he headed several Egyptian and Arab newspapers and supervised the cultural pages in some other newspapers. He wrote several daily and weekly columns in Egyptian and Arab newspapers and magazines. He is currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief for Al Ayam Newspaper and he writes a weekly column in Al Jamahir Newspaper. He is also the manager and owner of “Stamba Group for Arts and Publishing” which has been established since 20 years. Published poetry: Windows - published in three editions: special edition Cairo 1983, Dar El Thaqafa 1986, El Ealamyia Publishing House 2002; My Views limited editions (1986); Night Female Doers – published in three editions: El Sharqiya Publishing House (Manama 1988), El Nadim Publishing House (Cairo 1988), El Ealamyia Publishing House (Cairo 2002); Butterfly's Discoveries – limited editions (1990); Our Carpenter. The Artist – poetry for children, published in three editions: El Obiykan Publishing House (Ryiadh 1993 and 1994), El Ealamyia Publishing House (Cairo 2002); Color and Imagination - published in three editions: El Obiykan Publishing House (Ryiadh 1993 and 1994), El Ealamyia Publishing House (Cairo 2002); He is Almost.. Sure Merit Publishing House 2008; Poetic View of the "The Educated and the Authority" Book for painter Ezz El Deen Naguib, El Ealamyia Publishing House (Cairo 1997). Member of the Artists and Writers Association in Cairo (Attlee), Member of the Egyptian Writers Union, Member of the Egyptian Publishers Union.