Mohammed Al-Kafrawy
Mohammed Al-Kafrawy (b. 1978), an Egyptian poet and cultural critic, has carved a distinct voice in the Arab literary landscape since he began his journey in 1998. With a career spanning over two decades, he merges the precision of cultural journalism with the lyrical intensity of poetry, offering readers a bridge between reflection and revelation.
Literary Footprints
Al-Kafrawy’s poetic oeuvre unfolds in four collections, each a testament to his evolving exploration of existential and societal themes:
Al-Kafrawy’s titles alone—provocative, visceral—hint at his preoccupation with life’s paradoxes. His poetry is not shy from the grit of existence, yet threads it with a restless, almost rebellious, hope. Beyond verse, his critical essays and cultural commentaries amplify marginalized voices, anchoring his work in both the personal and the collective.
Cold corpse
(1)
I kiss your cold forehead and cry
I imagine your transparent form and smile
In fact, I look at your closed eyes and cry
Invisible fingers tickle my neck and pull my beard
As you always do.. so I laugh
I look at the destroyed walls of your room and cry
I imagine your new home on the highest and I am overcome with joy.
I cry and laugh
I feel sad and happy
I light and fade
I will remain like this, daughter of my blood and flesh
And I will never leave your body
(2)
And they ask me to bury her with my own hands
What an ungrateful heart would accept this!
How do I justify her absence
What should I say to her favorite doll
To her woolen sweater
To her garden dress
To her school supplies stained with blood?
The bullet that penetrated her stomach did not hit her alone
The seeping blood mixed with the remains of milk in her womb
Left a message for you..
You, the one with a stony heart
O you who opened your eyes wide
And you saw this pure mass of innocence
And you pulled the trigger.
(3)
I know you all
I see you one by one
From this terrible height
I look at you and smile
Despite my lukewarm appearance and pale-yellow face
And the flies that have fun licking my blood in front of the screens
I forgive you and pity you
And I know that one day
You will leave all this noise behind
And wings will grow for you…
exactly like me.
(translated by Dr. Salwa Goda, Egypt)
