Nadia: Poems

Nadia May 2019

The Cat was innocently
Sitting on the counter
When she noticed
The human noticing her
With a twitch of her whiskers
And a sniff of disdain
Down jumped the cat
Proclaiming her free reign

With her tail held up high
And her chin in the air
The Cat sashayed by
Seemingly without care
She absolutely wasn’t
Plotting or scheming
Cats don’t make plans
They’re only daydreaming

Now perched by the window
Eyes mostly closed
The Cat waits for a moment
When she’s unopposed
Finally, it happens
The humans have all left
The time has arrived
For a dashing, daring theft

Upon their return
The humans will discover
The dinner they left out
Was half-consumed by another
The Cat hasn't a clue
How this came to pass
She would never steal food
Of course she isn't that crass

NCL 2019

#thecat

Wearing Masks

Nadia Aug 2019

Wearing Masks

She might be beautiful
On the outside

Hair, makeup, false smiles
Perfectly applied

She reflects warmth
Taking credit for stolen heat

She claims to protect
But she welcomes their defeat

A symbol of humanity
Though she possesses none

Propping up evil incarnate
Isn't a job for just anyone

NCL August 2019

#masks #appearances #shallow

We Have Hope

Nadia Jun 2019

We Have Hope

When we arrived, young, blinded by stars in our eyes and endless city lights multiplied in the skies and in our hearts, we had hope.

Time passed without permission, marked by changing city landscapes as seasons raced by, and our love flourished, claiming the heartbeat of the city for its own; believing the promises of the ocean and the mountains and nature invading urban spaces. Our family grew, by one, and then two; seasons of eternal showers imprinting their cadence on our souls, we felt hope.

Now, the city that we love cannot love us back - it was laundered and sold by leaders less truthful than bold - we can't afford to grow old together here. We are drowning, struggling to stay afloat in a city owned by distant millionaires. Some days, it can be hard to find hope.

Before it's too late, I think we should go; leave behind these beautiful mountains, take the city skylines etched on our bones, and find a new place to watch our love grow. We still have dreams - our hope can't be sold - we’ll take them on the road with the memories we hold, when we go. We have hope.

NCL 2019

We Know Stubborn

Nadia Apr 2019

We Know Stubborn

Relentless, committed
No reconsideration
Burnt bridges be ******

NCL April 2019

#haiku

What If

Nadia Oct 2019

What If

In this wondrous world of ours,
What if kind was enough;
What if we all wanted
To be sorted into Hufflepuff;
What if compassion counted
Far more than being right,
More than being the best;
What if, in kindness we unite

NCL October 2019

When the day comes

Nadia Aug 2019

When the day comes

When the day comes

When the rainforest is burnt to none and they, for a dollar sum, stoop to petty catastrophe

When the oceans hold more plastic than water and it's too late for the dolphins to stage a coup

When the skies glow grey-orange with smoke and disappointment and each breath tastes of the same

When ever more radiation burns through; it's too much to hope we'll evolve superpowers - Oxygen Woman and the Amazing De-Plasticizer to the rescue

When the oceans rise and the land quakes in protest and from their tussles produce countless tsunami

When drought and flood escalate and tempests multiply; and there's no safe place left to live your life in ignorance

When we're almost all extinct; not that far away some think

When the end is unavoidable, will they see it then?

There's no insurance you can buy for the end of the world

A bit of doom and gloom for today, best followed with cat gifs

When the sun came out

Nadia Sep 2019

When the sun came out

The maple trees, their trunks festooned with moss and lichen;
Tiny ferns wave in the breeze where the branches meet;
Further out, limbs bear an expanse of rain glossy leaves,
High fives in a million different shades of shiny green

NCL September 2019

#nature #green #sun

When We Are Gone

Nadia Dec 2019

When We Are Gone

When we are gone
And all that is left
Is a planet bereft
Of living souls

Will it matter
Who’s to blame
When none remain
To bear the shame
Of our downfall?

When we are gone
And it won’t be long
What will we leave behind?
Our legacies

Disposable things
Hoarded dreams
And fatal insistences
That everything will be fine

It doesn't have to be this way

#climatestrike #enviro #action #change

Your trip is not a secret

Nadia Jul 2019

Your trip is not a secret

Your trip is not a secret
You can’t hide it from the Cat
She knows who comes and goes
And when they should, at that

She’s marked all the luggage
On the inside and the out
Any pets you might encounter
Will know you’re hers, no doubt

She hopes you booked the sitter
And not boarding at the vet
Bastet forbid you take her along
Cats neither forgive nor forget

Extra treats will be in order
And scratches round her ears
Wouldn’t want your favorite chair
To meet claws like pruning shears

But have a great adventure
That Cat says you need not worry
She’ll guard her castle expertly
Take your time, don’t hurry

NCL July 2019

#thecat #trip #leaving

Zoom

Nadia Jun 2019

Zoom

When you’re running downhill
with a course to beat
or a place to be,
when you don’t have time
to fight gravity,
you let go, giving in
to joyous velocity...

Lean into the incline,
falling forward into time;
catch yourself strategically,
again and again,
on soft ankles and soft knees...

Watch your steps,
watch your speed;
take what you can handle,
not necessarily what you need...

If you can, if it feels right,
lean forward even more,
feel the adrenaline roar...

You are a force to be seen,
feel the world rushing by
your calculated careen...

Celebrate when
you’ve conquered the incline,
taking acquired momentum
and stolen time;
thank the universe
for the thrill of speed sublime
and then,
on to the next challenge...

— The End —