The Gothic Part of Lebanon

14.03.2008

As I go about the internet, I come across a young Lebanese man, Eli Abu Jawdeh, lover of Gothic music and literature. While we chat along, I get to learn about his “Goth” thinking, which, for a layperson like me, seem, at a first glance, incomprehensible, absurd and maybe too “morbid” – a word that I heard Eli himself use.

Wanting to look at things objectively, I start by looking up Gothicism.

Inspired by romanticism and by the 19^th century Gothic novel with its mysterious and dark mood and imagery, this “subculture”, offshoot of the post-punk genre, contrarily to appearances of hate and violence, favors tolerant thinking and seeks to express recognition, identification and grief over societal and personal evils ignored or forgotten by the mainstream culture. This, for example, is the prevalent theme in Goth music.

Speaking of Goth music, incidentally, while I was searching for material on Gothicism and Lebanon, I came across a Lebanese group of Goth music called Winter’s Embrace…. I am acquainted with Lebanese jazz, Lebanese rap … but here I was dumbstruck by a unique genre, a mix of Goth music and oriental tunes. The group is really good! Check it on http://www.myspace.com/wintersembraceband

Eli introduced me to a chatting group he created on Facebook, that he dubbed “Gothika”. The group has around 400 followers from around the world, but many of them are Lebanese. On the group’s main page, Eli explains the Goth idea as the “the physical manifestation of the fact that only through death can life be gained, only by knowing what darkness is can we fully enjoy the light, only by understanding suffering can we completely appreciate salvation. ... Peace!”

The word “peace” struck me most. For such a movement to find followers in Lebanon, a country torn by mercenarily religious fighting and internecine wars can be explained by a Goth-like kind of rebellion against political affiliation and religious interferences…

As a treat, here’s a Goth poem that Eli wrote especially for my blog, that you can suffer … as a way to enjoy it next :)) Thank you Eli

Improper Burial

I admit it… this was my mistake… it took so much of my time just to realize

That an agonizing life like mine, shall remain another sad story to serialize

Whoever sad that it was I, whom condemned to eternal pain, must make the rules?

It’s just that I had enough… enough drinking this wine and smiling for the fools

A childhood tragedy is all I am… and it’s all that’s remaining from the inside

Inside? Are you mad? Please do ask yourself in the first place, if there’s any outside

I spent so many times in the inside that the Sun itself shall rise to me no more

Even if I wanted to, I can’t even find the sacred key for such a hidden door

I don’t know if that door exists… all I know is that once I’m in, I’m never out

As for the right key, I’m so sure that someone out there has it… I have no doubt

Once more, I ask myself… am I really blind, and can’t find the way?

Without even looking at my side, that’s what they simply used to say

The good thing is that I realized that awful truth… way before it gets too late

Crying over my grave was the right thing… it’s more like trespassing my fate

I have found out how cruel they are… to kill me and never dare to face the forsaken

How mighty are they… to fight a helpless creature, when his last breath was taken!

But how can I regret anything I did, if I don’t even know what I have done wrong?

I guess that’s exactly what weakens them, and makes my weakened soul this strong

Is there a way to make me escape this horrible and endless nightmare?

Does such an exit even exist? Or am I supposed to stay here and take my share?

Death… I do beg you to come near me… and let me feel the wings of my dying dreams

You can say that I’m a lachrymose… but believe me, you don’t even know how it seems

What became my tragedy… is just a damned affliction of another stained creation

Unfortunately, I still can’t find the way leading me to the one and only salvation

I’ll stand above their lies and misjudgments, even if they stole my chanted pride!

But they’ll never realize what happened till the day they die… even if I oceans cried

Every time I close my eyes, I see that scenery of loss… a ruined empire of dismay

I can see my improper burial… a pathway of decay leading afar and always astray…