He blended the lisp into the rhyme of poetry and anchored the ships of return eastward as cherries carry in their rosy beaks an enigma that lights up astonishment like embers and awakens the night into flame. That bird and the night, like dream's sails, appeared in every city's towers, burgeoning behind the silent walls with pride's minarets, while its tales scattered with the wind like sparks, troubling the tired body in a glass of promises. Around the house, there appeared domes, and people shared dreams in whispers as I captured blackbirds of light on the surfaces of my mirror. I resolved on my first night to compete with lightning on the road's verge, assertively drawing all eyes. People seemed unaffected, as if in a daze. I never knew how the spring gushed boldly, spreading like a fire, soaking the flint with a gold-tinted wing. However, the curved bow flew swiftly, then soared. (From the poem 'The Red Emblem'). Prof. Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al-Matooq holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Criticism from the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, 1987. He is a professor of language and literature at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia. He has a significant number of poetic works published in many literary and cultural magazines. He has numerous research papers and critical studies in poetry, literature, and language, published in a large range of scientific journals and specialized university magazines. He is a member of several global scientific organizations and local, Arab, literary, and cultural associations. He has received numerous awards in scientific research and literary creativity fields, and studies have been published about him and his poetic works in both Arabic and English. He has been translated into several encyclopedias addressing modern Arabic poetry and contemporary Arab poets. For more details, refer to the poet's personal website The author has several published books in literature, criticism, and language fields, including: 1. Language Acquisition: Its Importance, Sources, and Means of Development. Series: Knowledge World, Issue (212), Kuwait, 1417 AH/1996. 2. Arabic Lexicons: General Dictionaries: Their Functions, Levels, and Impact on the Development of Youth Language, Abu Dhabi, The Cultural Foundation, 1999. 2nd Ed., Dar Al-Nahda Al-Arabiya, Beirut, 2007. 3. Bilingual Arabic Dictionaries, Series of Scientific Arabic Books — King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals — Deanship of Scientific Research, Dhahran, 1425 AH/2004. 4. The Third Language Theory, A Study in the Middle Arabic Language Issue, Arab Cultural Center, Beirut/Casablanca 2005. 5. The Higher Language: Critical Studies in the Language of Poets. Arab Cultural Center, Beirut/Casablanca 2006. 6. Al-Sharif Al-Murtada: His Life, Culture, Literature, and Criticism, The Arab Institute for Studies and Publishing, Beirut/Amman 2007. 7. Linguistic Phenomena: A Critical Study and Glossary, Library of Lebanon Publishers, Beirut, 2008. 8. Issues of Poetry: Critical Studies, The Arab Science Publishers, Beirut 2013. Publishing house: Dar Al-Farabi Publishing and Distribution Number of Pages: 192 Year of Publication: 2013