Duhok New Year Acrostic Poem

This is the third and final acrostic poem of the trilogy celebrating the holiday season by AUK’s Michael Collins. In the United States, the phrase “holiday season” refers to the time from Thanksgiving in November through to Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s in late December and early January. The Thanksgiving poem in this trilogy expressed gratefulness for AUK and the opportunities it offers. The second poem praised Kurdistan as a region for its religious tolerance. This last poem, marking the arrival of 2023, is a paean for the Kurdistan Region and Duhok, where AUK is located.

Home to the up-and-coming AUK,

Alexander the Great passed through it on his way.

People here, so hospitable, make guests want to stay.

Pleasurable experiences await, in both work and play.

You’ll have a hard time resisting Duhok’s charms, try as you may.

“Nohadra” is this rich place’s ancient name;

Each modern spelling (Duhok, Dohuk, Dihok) is essentially the same.

Wonder not, why so many empires have staked their claim.

Youths are more than half of the population, a majority,

Eager, however, to impress and aid those with seniority.

All men in Duhok form a fraternity, all women there a sorority;

Rude and self-absorbed people, fortunately, are in the minority.

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Dam’s to the north; bazaar’s in the middle; “Malta” is no country, rather a neighborhood.

Understanding the layout’s not easy? Just use a map, if you would.

Hot summer weather not letting up? Have faith that, soon, it could.

Only now considering exploring all Duhok holds? Well, you should!

Kurdistan’s third largest city, an exemplar of the region’s good.