When I Love You

This poem exudes a profound and passionate love, one that is transformative in both personal and societal dimensions. The poet uses vivid and original metaphors to express the depth of this affection, referencing a "new language" that "springs up" and "new cities, new countries discovered," suggesting that love acts as a catalyst for creation and exploration. Metaphors like "hours breathe like puppies" and "wheat grows between the pages of books" are striking in their uniqueness, infusing the poem with a surreal and dream-like quality.

The poet also incorporates elements of political and cultural commentary, particularly in relation to Arab culture. When the speaker loves, it sparks a rebellion "against the ages of repression" and "against the institutionalization of the desert," implying that love can act as a force of resistance and change. This is further underscored by powerful imagery such as "your breasts shake off their shame, turn into lightning and thunder, a sword, a sandy storm" – this seems to suggest a freeing, empowering effect of love that challenges societal norms and constraints. The poem's structure, with its free verse and lack of strict rhyme or rhythm, complements this theme of breaking free from traditional limitations. The repeated phrase "When I love you" at the beginning of most stanzas acts as an anchor, providing a rhythmic and thematic continuity. Overall, this poem is a celebration of love as a powerful, transformative, and defiantly beautiful force.