POETRY BY AISHA

The End of the Single Road

Close the journal, put down the pen,
Sort out the letters, put ‘em in the bin.
Rub out the numbers from your address book,
And till you’re done, put the phone off hook.

Erase every memory, and every caring touch,
All the long phone calls that ever meant much.
Blot out the smiles, and the ringing laughter,
The bursts of genius that sprung when we were together.

You were my spare time, my study time, and stray thought,
My teacher, my student, and the ally I sought.
My belief, my inspiration, my crutch, my wings,
I thought ours was a single road - never foresaw fate’s bearings.

Delete every word synonymous with companionship,
Scrap every flowery card of such clichéd themes,
Let people mourn on the day of friendship
For all those who’ve lost faith in such relationships.

Copyright Aisha©5/6/05
 

Phoenix
-------
The valley was an abyss of darkness, inside the grassy fortress.
The stillness was a throbbing fetus, waiting in its parched distress.
The moon was a brilliant phoenix, embedded in an ashy sheath.
And the plains were eager subjects, waiting patiently beneath.

Suddenly, a secret passage was found; unguarded, unaware.
And for a moment, the abyss turned a plateau, with a face glowing fair.
It basked in its ephemeral glory, utterly humbled in reverence;
To be dismissed only a moment later, into a sea so stiflingly dense.

Copyright Aisha©11/1/2005

Sometimes you come across things in life that's like a star on a clear night -
            however much you want to capture it's glitter, it remains an impossible task.
            Nevertheless, it never ceases to gain your wonder...
 

Longing

Oh I long for that surf
That can carry away my agitation
On its white washed back and surging stride
Towards the ocean where they cease to be

I long for the refrain of crashing waves
And the soothing whisper of palm leaves
A note well played that struck my nerves
Hushes the clamour inside of me

I long for the obscure nothingness
Where, stripped of the trifles
Of consciousness and thought,
I nest in the warm embrace of myself.

Copyright Aisha©15/9/04
 

Shall I not be thankful?

He sat on the earth, through most of the night
hands raised to the sky, his cheeks wet of tears
he prayed to his God and he pleaded with Him,
to forgive his nation, to allay his fears.

He got up again at the sound of the bird,
till light shone the plains, he would not stop.
And again with the athan he would return,
and pray for his people, he never would stop.

When they saw his feet, all swollen and red,
They would ask the prophet, their eyes tearful
Why do you pray thus, when you're all forgiven?
Replied, And for that shan't I be thankful?



Copyright Aisha©6/6/2004

Moving on

I've been in your arms ever since I could feel
I've dreamed about you before I knew your face
Swear I could feel your lips on mine
Even as I woke up to an empty bed

If my heart were the boulder
With the sea crashing against it
It would take a lifetime to wash away the regrets
To cool the power of these feelings

You thought I moved on, if only I could
Look past my eyes, maybe you'll see
The dreams that I've dreamt of you
The stories I tell myself.. of you

But I never said anything, wish I had
Maybe you would have waited
Waited for me.. please don't go
You've taken over so much of me

You're the one I've been waiting for
My dreams, the embrace I sleep in
Your eyes haunt me when the lights go out
And nothing will bring you back now.. Nothing, ever

Copyright Aisha©Sep 7th 2004

BLANK PAGE

I set out to write a great poem
Pen poised over the paper
Chest struggling against its hide
If my mind would only comply

Always wished I could write
As gracefully as Rahman
As eloquently as Kipling
Even dismally as Hardy

God's gift to mankind
The strength of words, if only
They came to me as willingly
As a virgin bride to her groom

They say it's a born gift
Can't find it where the sun sets
Nor where the blue horizon ends
maybe something the begotten gets?

If only you had shared
Your secret for a pound
I surely would have
Nicked it before I crowned

Copyright Aisha©30May2004

THE PAIN OF THE CROWDS

Don't expect me to lick your wounds
Don't be surprised, if I don't cry for you,
Don't be hurt that I can't feel your pain,
Try to understand that I'm hurting too

Have you ever cried
not knowing who you are crying for?
Would you understand
why I feel so much anger?
Will you ever see
the pain of the crowds?
The pain that I feel,
Day in and day out?

Don't be so dense to expect reason from me,
Don't ask of me, to shout for your rights
Don't you tell me, that you feel insecure
While you wreck the homes
And fuel the fights

And then you question
who they are to me
Tied by blood we'll never be
But to know that they do as I do everyday
That they call themselves a name
I too am known by
That they read the book I ponder upon too
That the first name on their lips
Is the person I turn to
Binds us in something stronger
Don't bother...
You wouldn't understand.
 

Copyright Aisha©27October2002