"Once again, Ahmad Alkhatat uses his excellent writing talents to create sorrowful but beautiful images, this time as he visits the place of his birth, Baghdad, Iraq. The book begins with poems that describe his feelings about the visit and what he sees. “The Cost of Cigarettes,” “In A Random Street in Baghdad,” “Wounds From Iraq,” “At the Airport” and “Baghdad Taxi.” all denote images of the flavor and culture of Baghdad itself. Ahmad also shows his heart and sympathy for what is happening or has happened within Iraq and Syria with such poems as “Flooding in Aleppo,” “The Crying Girl on the Border” and “My Colorful Sorrows In Iraq.” We expect poets to show emotion within their work, but not all do it with such heartbreaking ‘hit on the mark.’ Mr. Alkhatat always has a wish for peace that can be seen in the form of a prayer in his books. This book c ...