Poetry and Immigration

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

Meet Me In Casablanca

Meet me in Casablanca

Meet me in Marrakesh

Hold my hand and feed me honey

Take my heart underneath the jasmine

I want to get wet from starlight

Meet me in Morocco, my love

Tell me I am the only one

Lay me down on the cool sands

And take me somewhere where my lips burn

And serve me tea

Your big brown eyes lie to me

I still don't care

Tell me pretty lies

Hold me in the streets of Casablanca

And make me feel alive again

Kathleen Voss Woolrich

[Jenn! 918]

Lovely poem! Did you write that?

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

Yes... I am a poet and its in a book I wrote called POSTCARDS FROM MOROCCO, a memory book for Zahra and its about her dad my ex.

You can see my books at www.lulu.com/kwoolr

or on amazon by typing in kathleen woolrich

I recently wrote one called ALGERIAN SUNS that has gotten alot of press. But I have a real job.. I am in sales.. I just write for fun and I make about 50 dollars a month in royalties. I am in love with an ALGERIAN and thats why I am here.. going through the hell of waiting with the rest of the people

MY HEART IS A MUSEUM

my heart is a museum

the walls are filled with faces

of lovers

of people who hurt me through the years

the floors echo with my footsteps

and I watch my feet as I move through the corridors

my heart is a museum

of loves lost and youth gone by

there is no one there at the entrance to greet you

you must wonder alone if you desire to enter

it is a vast and embracing place

but there are no signs that show the entrance

you will have to make your way alone

and love me without invitation

my heart is a museum

of water along the beaches

and baby kisses

and moments that sustain me

and rooms I can no longer enter

for they hold too many tears

and the faces of people that I lost

my heart is a museum

[Nasturtium 500]

Yes... I am a poet and its in a book I wrote called POSTCARDS FROM MOROCCO, a memory book for Zahra and its about her dad my ex.

You can see my books at www.lulu.com/kwoolr

or on amazon by typing in kathleen woolrich

I recently wrote one called ALGERIAN SUNS that has gotten alot of press. But I have a real job.. I am in sales.. I just write for fun and I make about 50 dollars a month in royalties. I am in love with an ALGERIAN and thats why I am here.. going through the hell of waiting with the rest of the people

Yep. It's our common denominator. A common denominator which sucks. Sometimes I wish my husband wasn't so private I have a lot of things I had written for him and he wrote for me, but he asked me to keep them to myself. I published a few photos and a couple of stories, but not the ones I wanted to publish

[mybackpages 0]

Kathleen,

Welcome to VJ. I have always had a strong interest in Algeria and when you posted this poem, I remembered coming across the name, but never imagined until Jenn asked, that the poster and the poet were one of the same. Wishing you a smooth and speedy journey.

Edited April 22, 2007 by mybackpages

[Marry American 0]

Meet Me In Casablanca

Meet me in Casablanca

Meet me in Marrakesh

Hold my hand and feed me honey

Take my heart underneath the jasmine

I want to get wet from starlight

Meet me in Morocco, my love

Tell me I am the only one

Lay me down on the cool sands

And take me somewhere where my lips burn

And serve me tea

Your big brown eyes lie to me

I still don't care

Tell me pretty lies

Hold me in the streets of Casablanca

And make me feel alive again

Kathleen Voss Woolrich

I LOVE THIS POEM.

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

Yes... I am a poet and its in a book I wrote called POSTCARDS FROM MOROCCO, a memory book for Zahra and its about her dad my ex.

You can see my books at www.lulu.com/kwoolr

or on amazon by typing in kathleen woolrich

I recently wrote one called ALGERIAN SUNS that has gotten alot of press. But I have a real job.. I am in sales.. I just write for fun and I make about 50 dollars a month in royalties. I am in love with an ALGERIAN and thats why I am here.. going through the hell of waiting with the rest of the people

Yep. It's our common denominator. A common denominator which sucks. Sometimes I wish my husband wasn't so private I have a lot of things I had written for him and he wrote for me, but he asked me to keep them to myself. I published a few photos and a couple of stories, but not the ones I wanted to publish

well maybe we here at visa forum can self publish our own little poetry chapbook. I know how and it would be fun.. You guys cheer me up so much.. I get so sad at night and its nice to see ( heheheheh) other people sad too so I am not feeling like I am staring at a black abyss all alone. I am starting to think USCIS hates us. I know that is irrational and I know that they are supposed to help us but I am seeing real married couples who adore each other being kept apart while lottery winners are coming... it just does not make sense. I understand some people doing bad things but I think that there is a culture of NO especially with the mid east and the USA right now. I love my man so much and the fact we have to go through hell and high water to prove something that is so real inside us is so crazy. Then I see these marriage brokers setting up wedding parties and these girls coming over in droves. I am especially irriated at what I see as a gender double standard. Old old old men get visas for women 30 years younger but if you are older than the man you love as a woman, you are treated like you are stupid.. Big double standard and I feel it is gender based. Women cannot get a break and men can marry up to 70 with a 20 year old.. You see this big time across the other boards

[Nasturtium 500]

It is frustrating.

The interresting thing about being apart is that you have to use your words ever-so carefully. They make and break your relationship, as you have nothing else.

The embassy just emailed me and said I can go into his interview. Of course his interview is Tuesday, and even if I got a ticket for tomorrow, I couldn't make it. They waited and never answered my question that I have asked over and over since March, and now they finally answer it.

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

Kathleen,

Welcome to VJ. I have always had a strong interest in Algeria and when you posted this poem, I remembered coming across the name, but never imagined until Jenn asked, that the poster and the poet were one of the same. Wishing you a smooth and speedy journey.

Alot of people have seen my videos on youtube ( kind of accidentally) I have had over 1 million hits over all my videos, 16,000 channel views and I have about 190 subscribers on my ALGERIA CHANNEL. I write books about ALGERIA and my little one is moroccan ( my ex boyfriend was moroccan... he is a character.. I just checked 1,200,000 total video views ( I have over 300 videos on youtube) I met and fell in love with an Algerian in ORAN the city of RAI... my favorite music from western Algeria and he is friends with all the most famous singers of rai.. You can tell your moroccan that you know an American girl that is friends with NASRO, CHEBA DJENET , CHEB REDOUANE.. they will laugh cause not that many americans know this music.. I will try to post pics. I am going to ALGERIA and maybe Morocco soon...But we are doing a K1 and from the looks of things.. I never had any idea that the cards are stacked against American women so badly. It seems like men have much fewer denials and that they are age biased against women. What drives me nuts is that men are getting women here that they have met on these huge dating sites, the girls dont speak english half of them, huge age differences and then I read about some women on here seperated for years from men they have real relationships with that were cultured and developed.. and then there is one woman on here LIVING with the guy and cannot get them here. I think honestly it is gender bias ( I am not speaking for my own case because it has not been adjudicated) but honestly someone needs to speak up about it and it might as well be me.I never really sat down and thought about things but from the looks of things.. it seems like interviews don't matter and that the cards are stacked against you. Why even give some of these people approvals if they know in advance that they will not give the visa to the man? Why put these poor american women through the motion of offering false hope with an AO2 ? I am not even going to Morocco and my guy isnt moroccan but honestly... its heartbreaking some of the stuff i am reading.. I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU SET UP THIS LOG... ITS AWESOME SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE GOING THROUGH IMMIGRATION ... I just want to believe that the cards are not stacked against american women and we have a shot for happiness..

As for some of the comments I have read on here from Younger american women married to moroccans.. I read one yesterday that perplexed me written by a girl who's man is adjusting status about age different relationships. The girl was saying that if the woman is older and the man is younger, it is a flag. Being the same age is not a guarantee of something that will last. My daughter is a product of a moroccan man marrying a girl younger and he left her... and he is younger than me and I ended up with the baby. Being young or younger doesnt guarantee a real relationship. Intensity of feelings is not age based

I will give you an example of why age is not the biggest issue. I know 2 couples.. both american and moroccan mix where they divorced and there was an older moroccan and younger american and the guy left the girl. I know of one couple where the woman is 10 years older and she just had her 2nd baby. I do not think you can pass value judgements based on age. I just don't feel that it is fair that the majority of these cases that I have seen on here seem to be American women and foreign men. Thats my opinion.

I make videos on Moroccan music and culture too

Here is one I made for Zahra

ZAHRA's moroccan video, this is my little Moroccan daughter and the poem was about her dad MEET ME IN MOROCCO... I met him here in the USA ( hahhaahha)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLnGHRzjogk

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

It is frustrating.

The interresting thing about being apart is that you have to use your words ever-so carefully. They make and break your relationship, as you have nothing else.

The embassy just emailed me and said I can go into his interview. Of course his interview is Tuesday, and even if I got a ticket for tomorrow, I couldn't make it. They waited and never answered my question that I have asked over and over since March, and now they finally answer it.

From my heart to you

For Juliana as she waits from kathleen

I know that words cannot comfort you

As you wait for the shadows of your life with him

But here is what I give to you

I give you a song in your heart

The lyrics to a life lived differently

You chose to love a man

From the land of stone and hidden cities

Your heart is stored with him across the world

And only maktoob , what is written will show you

I say this to you..

your words have been spoken and what will be will be

But if your love is eternal it will last past the papers, past the words and the fear

and soar beyond what ever they say next week

I hope and I send my happiness to you, that what you need and want will be

And we shall see you here

And we will be here for you

we are sisters in waiting you know and you see

We are dreaming of a life differently led

We chose to love someone far from what we know or had ever known

So Juliana know that my prayers are with you

In every song.. in every sky

I want you so to have happiness that I myself crave and adore

Dearest Juliana

The roses will be with you and so will my hopes and dreams

we are sisters in waiting... waiting for our lives to begin

[peezey 0]

Meet Me In Casablanca

Meet me in Casablanca

Meet me in Marrakesh

Hold my hand and feed me honey

Take my heart underneath the jasmine

I want to get wet from starlight

Meet me in Morocco, my love

Tell me I am the only one

Lay me down on the cool sands

And take me somewhere where my lips burn

And serve me tea

Your big brown eyes lie to me

I still don't care

Tell me pretty lies

Hold me in the streets of Casablanca

And make me feel alive again

Kathleen Voss Woolrich

Have you been on VJ before?

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

I have not posted or had an account but I knew about the forums. I now have a petition and needed the love and support because I have been getting depressed with the wait... I also just wanted a place to touch base with other women in love with foreign men

[peezey 0]

Kathleen,

Welcome to VJ. I have always had a strong interest in Algeria and when you posted this poem, I remembered coming across the name, but never imagined until Jenn asked, that the poster and the poet were one of the same. Wishing you a smooth and speedy journey.

Alot of people have seen my videos on youtube ( kind of accidentally) I have had over 1 million hits over all my videos, 16,000 channel views and I have about 190 subscribers on my ALGERIA CHANNEL. I write books about ALGERIA and my little one is moroccan ( my ex boyfriend was moroccan... he is a character.. I just checked 1,200,000 total video views ( I have over 300 videos on youtube) I met and fell in love with an Algerian in ORAN the city of RAI... my favorite music from western Algeria and he is friends with all the most famous singers of rai.. You can tell your moroccan that you know an American girl that is friends with NASRO, CHEBA DJENET , CHEB REDOUANE.. they will laugh cause not that many americans know this music.. I will try to post pics. I am going to ALGERIA and maybe Morocco soon...But we are doing a K1 and from the looks of things.. I never had any idea that the cards are stacked against American women so badly. It seems like men have much fewer denials and that they are age biased against women. What drives me nuts is that men are getting women here that they have met on these huge dating sites, the girls dont speak english half of them, huge age differences and then I read about some women on here seperated for years from men they have real relationships with that were cultured and developed.. and then there is one woman on here LIVING with the guy and cannot get them here. I think honestly it is gender bias ( I am not speaking for my own case because it has not been adjudicated) but honestly someone needs to speak up about it and it might as well be me.I never really sat down and thought about things but from the looks of things.. it seems like interviews don't matter and that the cards are stacked against you. Why even give some of these people approvals if they know in advance that they will not give the visa to the man? Why put these poor american women through the motion of offering false hope with an AO2 ? I am not even going to Morocco and my guy isnt moroccan but honestly... its heartbreaking some of the stuff i am reading.. I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU SET UP THIS LOG... ITS AWESOME SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE GOING THROUGH IMMIGRATION ... I just want to believe that the cards are not stacked against american women and we have a shot for happiness..

As for some of the comments I have read on here from Younger american women married to moroccans.. I read one yesterday that perplexed me written by a girl who's man is adjusting status about age different relationships. The girl was saying that if the woman is older and the man is younger, it is a flag. Being the same age is not a guarantee of something that will last. My daughter is a product of a moroccan man marrying a girl younger and he left her... and he is younger than me and I ended up with the baby. Being young or younger doesnt guarantee a real relationship. Intensity of feelings is not age based

I will give you an example of why age is not the biggest issue. I know 2 couples.. both american and moroccan mix where they divorced and there was an older moroccan and younger american and the guy left the girl. I know of one couple where the woman is 10 years older and she just had her 2nd baby. I do not think you can pass value judgements based on age. I just don't feel that it is fair that the majority of these cases that I have seen on here seem to be American women and foreign men. Thats my opinion.

There are men who post daily that their young, pretty wife used them for papers and are no longer anywhere to be found, so these men all dont' get off so easy.

The point about red flags isn't totally about a woman watching out, the point is to know what yours are because the consulate does pay attention to age difference and will deny for any number of reasons, including this, if they think it's contributing to a fraudulent petition. No one is saying only relationships between people of similar ages work out, we are only listing what everyone should address and know about prior to the interview. The fact is, it isn't culturally normal for MENA men to marry significantly older women, the consulate knows this (as well as they know there are crowded cyber cafes full of men chatting to foreign women day and night, looking for a wife), so you need to have lots of back up to prove your relationship.

Edited April 22, 2007 by peezey

[Nasturtium 500]

Thank you for the poem

I was looking around for something for my husband, and I found this. I had written it when he asked me what I was looking for in life... what were my goals. This was after I had complained about how much my parents (mom) hated the very idea of him.

"My horrid, wicked goal is:

To marry someone I adore, someone I love, someone I am to whom I am attracted; who shares goals and interests with me, who lets me be ME and gives me challenges, who doesn't roll over when I say "go," and who loves me back and respects me. I want someone who is attracted to me, who will compromise, who treats me like a person.. who looks the other way when I am having a crazy day and puts up with my PMS. I want someone who won't piss me off and I will try to do the same-- not piss him off.

I want someone who actually wants to hang out with me; someone who takes me seriously when I am being serious.

I want someone who wants children; who loves children and is good with them; who will share the work, the good times and the bad. I want someone who doesn't care if I have a christmas tree, dye eggs, or carve pumpkins. I want someone who won't make fun of me for loving everything that is alive and not being able to kill anything; someone who doesn't think I am dirty if I am on "that time of the month;" someone who doesn't care if my toenails are red or green or pink... or if i am in a stage where I love tabi socks... or if i wear a skirt...

I want someone who understands the feeling of earth between your fingers; who appreciates the smallest yellow flowers of a tomato. I want someone who would stick by me if I was suddenly a quadroplegic or couldn't have children, or was dying... someone who would comb my hair for me and make sure I had matching socks if my mind slipped away into nothingness of insanity.

I need someone who understands I will never leave him if he loves me like this.

I would do all this, and more, for him until he totally breaks my spirit with fighting, hate, pain, betrayl and anger.

Only then I will leave.

This time, I do not think I will have a third chance. I'm taking the second one, and I believe this is IT for me. I have never given everything I am to someone. This time you will get everything... you have everything. I am not holding anything back this time. No feelings for myself, no secrets.

I am taking my second chance and not looking back."

Shhh, this falls into the realm of "secret."

[aya*abouelnasr 0]

Um...did anyone else cry when they read these poems and thoughts? Maybe I am just a softie, but Julianna, I think you put into words what everyone of us is feeling now. I don't know about anyone else, but I never expected to feel this way about anyone. It goes far beyond anything that I have felt before, and I don't think I will ever love this deeply again. Could it be because we have had to wait for so long to be with the men that we love? They say that anything worth having is worth waiting for. I know that some (Julianna) have waited far longer than others, and I pray that the waiting is over for all of you soon. I know that I still have a long wait before I can bring my husband "home", and I am not a patient person. I believe that all things happen for a reason, even if it is only to teach us a lesson. I think this journey is to teach me patience and tolerance. Not an easy lesson to learn for some of us. So we wait and dream of the day when we can be with our men again.