In my home country Iraq, its really a miracle to survive, not only because of terrorism and war, but also because life is hectic and full of danger, and people behave so recklessly. Here are some horrible things that happened to members of my family, but because they were lucky and blessed, they got away with it. That includes me.

- A ‘cold bullet’ (a bullet fired in the air somewhere far away) went into the ear of one of my cousins, entering in a very strange angle and stopping right next to the spinal cord in his neck but he survived; today, he is blessed with a beautiful family of his own, and the bullet is still ‘there’, because doctors refused to operate so close next to the spinal cord. But thankfully, its not moving!  
- Another cousin used to walk, or sometimes run(!!) on the fences surrounding the roof of my grandparents two story house. In Iraq, roofs are flat and have fences. So he always got away with running on the fences of the second floor. But once he did it on the veranda fence of the first floor and fell. He still got away with some minor injuries but up to this day, he is in love with hight...
- One of my uncles jumped from the roof because he was chased by the military police who wanted to arrest him for refusing to join Saddam’s unjust war against our neighbour country Kuwait. He ended up with a broken leg, but sadly had to join the war, nevertheless. Thankfully, he neither killed nor took part in the organised looting that Saddam’s army organised in Kuwait after the invasion.
- My grandma, despite so much difficulties, death, and hurt got almost hundred years old. Her exact age is not possible to determine because her birthday wasn’t accurate; people at that time just wrote something. She has witnessed the death of my grandpa and 4 of her children, one of her grandchildren, in addition to several miscarriages. My grandfather died in the 80's. She had a son who was burned to death by some crazy kids in the neighbourhood. One of her daughters also died because she was exposed to chemical weapons Saddam used against the opposition in the north of Iraq in the 80's. Her eldest son died at the age of 82, one year before she did, and before him her second eldest son, who got cancer. Her grandchild, who loved her a lot, was arrested by Saddam's secret police and was tortured to death. Nevertheless, I’ve never seen her cry, not once in my life. Maybe tear once or twice, but never cry. She was always witty and positive and full of energy...Sadly, she got Alzheimer and fell, breaking her hipbone, and eventually died after almost one year in bed. A really brave woman.
- One of the children of my cousin got stabbed with a pen in his eye by his brother, and although the procedure used to deal with the accident was wrong, he still is able to see without any problems.
- Another cousin of mine, while driving a motorbike, was hit by a car from behind and although landing on his face hitting the sidewalk, while not wearing a helmet, he miraculously survived with only a few minor scares in his face.
- I had a scorpion living for months in my room. I always kept hearing something moving somewhere, suspecting it to be a mouse or a lizard. And sometimes I notices something dark moving but thought that my eyes were playing tricks with me. However for some reasons I didn't take it serious. But after leaving, my mother found a 4 inch black scorpion in my room, which she killed with a shoe, like a champ...
- That is only a sample of how much luck and blessings my family has witnessed. I would have added how I survived death by explosion twice, and how my sister did also survive one of the bloodiest sucide attacks in Iraq, targeting her college. But for some reason she didn't go to school at the day of the attack. But I had difficulties fitting all that into one poem. I think what is mentioned is enough action for one poem. :-)

From my book, "Aimless Wanderer"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1544626347