Maltese poet and author Immanuel Mifsud shared his latest poem Qalulna online on Wednesday afternoon, and it’s equal parts anger and sorrow-inducing. 

Targeting the recent slew of development around the Maltese islands, Mifsud’s poem comments on undelivered promises, while looking back at a better time. A time, that is, which can now only be accessed through memories of our grandparents and a different, greener, Malta.

The poem quotes Government promises to the Maltese people through recent years, echoing not only the work’s title, but also popular political slogans like “Rebbiegħa ġdida” and “L-aqwa żmien”. 

Here is Mifsud’s poem in full:

Qalulna

Qalulna: issa bdiet rebbiegħa ġdida.

Qalulna: żmien il-bużullotti spiċċa.

Qalulna: wasal terremot mill-isbaħ.

Qalulna: dan pajjiżna tagħna lkoll.

Qalulna: tibżgħu xejn – qegħdin fis-sod.

Qalulna: mhix problema l-prezzijiet – 

tmutux dlonk kif tirċievu l-kontijiet.

Qalulna: dan bilfors hu l-aqwa żmien.

Emminniehom. Kull darba emminniehom.

Illum inqaħqħu ma’ kull pass li nagħtu

u nitolbu biex jispuntaw il-pjanti

imqar minn xi tieqa fl-ghoxrin sular.

Jaqbżilna d-dmugħ kif naraw ir-ritratti

ta’ nannietna jinqalbu fil-ħaxix;

ta’ ommna bil-fjur f’xagħarha, kollha jfuħu;

missierna jaqta’ l-ħawħ u n-nuċiprisk.

Jaqbżilna d-dmugħ. U d-dmugħ lewn il-konkrit.

Share this post if you agree with Mifsud’s words.

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David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).