My beloved Xamar,
Yours was the first air I breathed
The first blue sky my eyes gazed on
I daydreamed watching your white and pink clouds
Like hooyo – mother you nourished me
Our lively ancient neighbourhood protected me
Abti - Uncle, habaryar - auntie and ayeeyo - grandmother
None of them tied to me by blood
Made me feel I belonged to a large noisy reer- family
I treasure
The voices, the scent and the taste of Boondheere,
Via Roma, Shingaani, Xamar Weyne and the Tamarind market
In exile on lonely nights
I have longed for
Your warm salty ocean waves
And the slightly fermented taste of caano geel - camel milk
I wept bitter tears
When I saw you bleeding
And my large noisy family
Wounded, maimed, killed
Mogadishu
Like a lost child I dream of you
My heart will never fall in love again
You only you
Can make me cry, laugh,
Bring back memories of my childhood
The pain of the present
And hope for a better future
We belong to each other,
My beloved Xamar
Letter submitted by Shirin Ramzanali Fazel
Birmingham, United Kingdom