Monday, April 16, 2012

Two of Us

Sinking

in thoughts,
in questions
with no satisfying answers,
in complex contradicting realities,
in an existence
where day after day
it becomes clearer
that body and soul,
companions in journey,
will never unite.

Who am I?
Am I anything
in your day?
I am a face,
that follows you
in a desert
eyes that read you,
mind that sees beyond,
body stuck in place and time.
Soul?

Soaring.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

I look around,
wait,
and though
I cannot see you,
you are here.

You could be anywhere
in this city,
driving, dining,
with friends,
in the arms of a loved one.

Wherever you are tonight,
you are here.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Fragments

close eyes
not to sleep,
but to re-live
days,
parts of days.
 
spirits behind faces,
words said,
thoughts heard,
differences, similarities,
boundaries.

we were separated only to unite.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Loss


Disconnected
Gone... Lost...
Darkness... Ship... Sea...
Alone, all alone…
Questions... No answers…
Wind... Cold...
Pain... Unbearable pain…
Barely surviving...
Hanging on…
Just one more day…
Faces... Noises... Strangers…
Try... Keep trying...
Smile... Pretend…
Remember... Dream…
Think... Try... Think…
Work, work harder…
No way…
Give up…
Waves... Drown...
Suffocate...
***
Sun... Sand... Waves…
Survived?
Breathe slowly…
Miss you…
Search for you,
You’re not there
I close my eyes ... search within
And find you in my soul,
I hear your voice
Humming a tune
And the bitter tears
Can't ease the pain
Can't stop the agony of missing you my dear.

The Waves- a Fairy-tale.


Sunny skies,
the voices of children,
and the crashing waves.

"You have a crush."

The waves echoed his words
again and again,
the waves crushed her heart.

She was so far from being an adolescent,
knew black and white
and all the shades of grey.

He gave a new meaning
to everything around her,
to everything within her.
to freedom;
to inner peace,
to yearning,
to dreams
that could never be.

"You have a crush", he said,

She knew right then,
that he will never know
how deeply loved he was

She loved him solely for who he was,
She loved the boy within the man,
And the wise man within the boy.

In him she found herself.
In him she died.
In her he lived forever.

But he will never know.
He will never know...
   *   *   *

Years passed...
The ocean that divides,
Is still deep blue.

The waves crashing
on the shore
Still echo his words.

The tune
he hummed
is still her favorite song.

And forever he will be
the last one she thinks of
before going to sleep,
and the first to come to mind,
when waking up.

The Thorn Tree


A small tree grew slowly
Into my heart.
"It's a thorn tree!" they said.
I didn't listen.
For how can I kill a tree?
A beautiful growing tree
With leaves, and blossoms,
And birds that sing
On bouncing branches in spring?

 The tree grew.
The tree grew.
"It's a thorn tree, a thorn tree!" they said.
But I didn't listen.
The lure of the shade
The beautiful green
Against blue skies
Blinded my eyes
"It's my tree, my beautiful tree", I said.

Spring after Spring
The thorns on my tree grew sharper,
The thorns on my tree grew deeper
Into my soul.
"It is a thorn tree… A thorn tree" they said.

But how can I hear them
Now that I’m dead? 

Monday, January 16, 2012

Sit and Watch


Sit and watch
little Orphean Warbler
on a windowsill connected to
cast aluminum curtain wall.
Outside window
no green in sight.
***
Sit and watch,
as words from different places
within blue carpeted building
are heard.
Voices from the hall,
adjacent rooms,
offices,
students, teachers
mix into a hum.
“I’ll tell her to come see you
in ten minutes”
“thank you”.
***
Watch the bird
as random words are heard:
“yeah…”
“there isn’t out here.”
“I don’t…”
a whistle,
footsteps,
merge into meaninglessness.
***
The bird,
sea of sound,
distinct words
 sail the waves:
“then people…”
“I said…”
laughter.
A lady in black abaya walks slowly by,
mobile rings:
“Shlonich?”
“Zain”
“Ana w Ayoosh bin yee”
“Wallah?”
“Zain adri”
“lesh thakarteeni?”  
***
Bird,
cast iron aluminum fishnet,
sea gulls hover
over rocking dhow boats’
glistening sails.
Slow steps,
“Salamualeikum!”
A man in white thobe and gutra
walks by,
waves
rise and fall.
***
A poet walks up the stairs
turns around,
tells a friend:
“We don’t have any plans.”
Walks down,
runs up,
waves
as he enters the English Room.
“Are they meeting expectations?”
“Actually, we…”
“I got some essays yesterday and…”
On his way out
said “Ciao”.
***
Smile,
look out the window,
bird,
sound,
until…



Notes:
 Arabic conversation translated as follows:
 “Shlonich?”    - “How are you?”
“Zain”- “OK”
“Ana w Ayoosh bin yee” – “Ayoosh (a girl’s nickname) and I are coming”
“Wallah?”- “Really?”
“Zain adri”-  “OK, I know”.
“lesh thakarteeni?” - “Why did you remind me?”

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

You!


You speak
eyes,
you speak
hands.
Speak
words,
your words,
complete.

What is it Called?


What is it called when
care, not dare,
words felt,
thoughts, smile,
stare into blue,
pray not for self,
know, still do,
want
nothing?

Answers


How often
Do we stop
And question
Only to turn away from answers?

But then,
Who needs answers?
When we can
Walk in the dark,
Wait for dawn,
Chase the wind,
Merge with rain,
And submit to storms?