Home is Where the Heart Is

Image (c) Duc_Hoiliday, Al-Chubayish, 1977. "Marsh Arabs."
One of the most compelling, and recurring, conversations I have in Iraq is the heartfelt attachment felt by all to the very idea of marshland life. Even those who have never left the concrete tangles of their urban homes wax poetic about the soothing stillness; the cool blues and greens. And even those who have now re-established themselves in "proper" urban trades and "proper" brick homes regret the loss of close community and ample opportunity for cultivation. We'd like to kindle a bit of hope that these children's grandchildren will know the thrill of fishing among the salt grasses.#cmarsh