Sagacious words

Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary. ~ Khalil Gibran

Wednesday 27 November 2013

The Leaf

Once in school, in an art class,
The teacher told us to collect a leaf and then lay it into a tray of paint.
We were then told to pick it up and put it
Paint-side down, onto a plain piece of paper.
The leaf was imprinted onto the paper and the teacher asked,
If we noticed all the little lines that looked
Almost like human blood vessels?
Even though the leaf was dead, it was not dry.
You could not crush it in the palm of your hand
And turn it into ground dust.
That day, I was taught a great lesson.
Even leaves which seem to be dead-
As they are not attached to any plant that sustains them,
Are not actually dead until you can turn them into dust.
It occurred to the child-me then,
That maybe the same is true for humans.
Maybe you can be 'alive'
Even if you're supposed to be 'dead.'

J.Bibi




Thursday 14 November 2013

Aftermath

I'm so afraid
I've lost my way
I can't believe that you've gone away.
I can't find your face-
There is no trace
Of your light.
I said goodbye
But I can't believe
That you would really leave.
It hurts so much-
The pain deafens me-
I can't stand this hurt
The loss of you is unbearable.
These days are so hard,
I sat and watched you disappear,
Night and day I wondered-
How would it be if you went away?
I'm so so afraid
I can't seem to find my way,
I know there is a chance-
To make a difference
But I have to get it out,
This fire that burns

So painfully within,
I must release it-
To start to live again.
Automatically I move
Trying not to jolt the rhythm,
Everything is normal-
Everything is the same
But I'm hurting so much inside,
I just can't take this pain,
I guess now too clearly I know,
My life has forever changed.

J.Bibi


(Written in 1995)