Spent
Do you remember the time we spent watching snowflakes
listening to the soft pitter patter of white bloom
on a windowpane dark with night?
“ Is it the moon,” you asked, small hand in mine
warm curve of sweet honey scented cheek pressed
to my chest full to burst with the love of you
my sweet.
“Is it the moon falling, mama? Or just the stars?”
As if it had to be one or the other in a jigsaw universe
where everything fit Lego block tight in a pattern
painted across the sky.
“Not the moon. Not the stars,” I reply,
Thinking yes the moon, yes the stars,
yes breath of princesses long ago dead
slain dragon’s blood
dust shaken off Bedouin feet before entering
a camel hair tent a world away
precious drop of water stopped, waiting
at the end of a date palm frond
lizard below tongue poised for that moment
when it drops
falls, begins its journey to a Wisconsin night
a thousand years distant
to land
spent
but brought to life anew
by the dreams
of one small boy.
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9 comments
This is beautiful Khadijah, one of those poems you read and wished you had written it yourself xxxx
I once read on this blog …”when you decide to have children, you are letting a part of your heart walk outside your body” there are times I look at my children and can’t help but wonder, how can a heart hold so much love?
Lovely! Another one for the poetry book or is it going into Yemeni Journey?
I am thinking of doing a poetry book next…I am not sure how to incorporate poetry into Yemeni Journey, so I thought I would just go all out and go for a poetry book, insh’Allaah!
Asalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,
Absolutely beautiful poem MASHALLAH! Makes my heart ache with love for my child. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to bare her leaving me one day.
Definitely a poetry book; I had been thinking that. I’m reading your last three posts in reverse order. Your poetry, your prose, are sublime. They need a book. I want to have your book of poems at my bedside. So often [dare I admit it] poetry doesn’t reach me. Yours speaks w/o contrivance or self-consciousness or effort – it is as genuine and real as the wide-eyed trust of a young boy’s questions. More, we need more, Khadijah.
I am thinking of just taking the plunge and quitting my “day job” and focusing on what is important to me, like studying, reading and translating. My husband is already looking at covers for a poetry book! I do have the children’s color poetry book available already, A Slice of Sunshine, alhamdulillah
Beautiful poem. I love the artistry you weave with the words.
Thank you, Ruth!