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Feb 2019 · 400
You were given
Rumi Iqbal Feb 2019
Life gave you lemons,
you made lemonade.
Life gave you oranges,
you made orange juice.

Life gave you love,
you threw it away.
Life gave you money,
you used it to play.

Life gave you friends,
you let them go.
Life gave you help,
you left it alone.

Life gave you knowledge,
you never used it.
Life gave you health,
you abused it.

Life gave you hope,
you trusted it.
Life gave you sadness,
you embraced it.

Life gave you happiness,
you ignored it.
Life gave you faith,
you scoffed at it.

Everything you wanted,
you were given.
Everything you had,
was never fulfilling.
Feb 2019 · 247
Dream
Rumi Iqbal Feb 2019
We live as we dream,
alone.
We die as we live,
together.

I see the world I want,
in every night's sleep.
I see the world I fear,
in every night's sleep.

I can not say, that all is good.
Nor can I say, that all is bad.

All I can say is,
I have nothing to say,
I have nothing to feel,
Nothing to convey.

My dreams will go on,
day and night.
My hopes will remain,
day and night.

My heart will remain,
forever vast.
My mind will remain,
forever open.

We live as we dream,
alone.
We live as we die,
together.

My dream will remain.
My heart will remain.
My torment will remain.
My hope will remain.

Even after I wake up,
this dream of mine,
lives on.
Feb 2019 · 236
The living lantern
Rumi Iqbal Feb 2019
My story is not one that needs to be told,
But tell it I will.
I am a lantern, once bought, then sold
I am a simple lantern, without a frill.

Hung on a roof I was,
Lit all day, and all night.
I hung there in silence,
Not a sound, not a sight.

Most days, I went unnoticed,
I was nothing special, no story worth telling.
But every once in a while, people would stop, and stare,
They saw something compelling.

I am a shadow, that lives within a much bigger light,
But I am my own source, I live in no prison.
I have a story to tell, one that is very bright,
If only you wish to listen.
Feb 2019 · 368
The Other Side
Rumi Iqbal Feb 2019
Come to the other side,
where the light is always brighter.
Come to the other side,
where life is always lighter.

Come to the other side,
where the grass is always greener.
Come to the other side,
where you'll always feel freer.

Come to the other side,
you know you want to.
Come to the other side,
I'll show you how to.

You've dreamt of the other side,
every single night.
You've thought of the other side,
every time you didn't have light.

It has everything you need,
but not what you've needed.
It has everything you want,
but not what you've wanted.

The other side is beautiful.
The other side is plentiful.
The other side is graceful.

The other side is what you don't have,
not what you have.
The other side is what you want,
not what you've wanted.

The other side,
is everywhere and nowhere.

The side can be found,
as simple as one, two, and three.

Close you eyes,
forget what was there,
open your eyes.

And you will find,
that you were already on,
the other side.
Jan 2019 · 7.6k
The Mystery Man
Rumi Iqbal Jan 2019
He is, the mystery man.
Walking at night.
He is the mystery man.
Always out of sight.

The mystery man, is odd
he comes at night, leaves at dawn.
The mystery man, is as tall as a rod
He is all brains, no brawn.

We spend our time, you and I,
thinking, "Who is the mystery man?"
Is he a cop? a doc? or a spy?
Does he drive a bus? a car? or a van?

The world needs the mystery man.
He makes us all feel safe.
The mystery man always has a plan.

He is always there,
watching.

Some say, we don't need the mystery man,
they say he is a nuisance.
Others say, since he came,
life has been an improvement.

He does not seek glory,
He does not seek fame.
He only seeks a place in someone's story,
to be remembered, but never by name.

Thank you to those who try to make people's lives better, even if they don't know it. Thank you to all the "mystery men".
Jan 2019 · 198
Life
Rumi Iqbal Jan 2019
I’ve lived my life confused,
but never stationary.
I’ve lived my life humbled,
but never dreary.

I’ve taken time
to find myself
But never made my life
Worth putting on a shelf

School and family and sport and school
is all I’ve ever known
life, my friend knows much more
But has left me to find it on my own

I am no demon.
I am no saint.
I am just me
I can’t really explain

I’ve come a long way
With this thing called life
I’ve got a lot of answers to give
And man, I sure as hell hope I’m right

I don’t know where my life is going
And honestly, I don’t care.
For if I think too much about it
I will always be in despair.
Oct 2018 · 170
Odd Times
Rumi Iqbal Oct 2018
We live in odd times,
It is a time of confusion, of peril, of treachery.
We live in odd times,
In a time of pain and prosperity.

We work ourselves to the bone,
We push each other to the limit.
Our futures are always shone,
But the present, never worth it.

We live in odd times,
We see each other go by,
Walking, running, driving, always in the lines,
Never to look up, never to say hi

We live in our own bubbles,
Keeping everyone at a distance.
Oblivious to everyone else’s troubles,
But hoping for the world’s kisses.

We live in odd times,
Every door, closed.
Every word, lies.
Every question, posed.

Though we live in odd times,
We are not blind.
We see those who commit crimes,
And those who are always kind.

We are creatures of emotion and logic,
We have realized that we drew the lines,
And that this world does not have to be tragic.
These truly are, odd times.
Oct 2018 · 1.5k
The Endless Road
Rumi Iqbal Oct 2018
I am on a street
I have to choose a path to take
I do not know if the roads will ever meet
This is a decision I do not think I can make

I am trying to make a choice
What do I do , I don’t know
From behind me I hear a voice
Telling me where to go
Now all I hear is noise

People shouting at me
Louder and louder
“This is what you should be”
Pushing me farther and farther

“Stop,” I yell “let me choose”
But my efforts were in vain
For I had already been pushed,
To the path that I must take

The path is steep
I am confident about the start
So to go forward, I take a leap
Only to find I want to depart

The next few steps were a struggle
For I did not read the map
All I heard was my confidence rumble
But I never left the path

I found some help along the way
They made my travels fun
But they did not stay to my dismay
I feel like this journey will never be done

I see it, it’s finally concluded
The road has ended
I no longer feel secluded
But I felt once again, that I was to be muted

For I had another road to take
I waited for the voices
But all I heard and saw was the morning wake
Now, it seemed I will make my own choices

This is now my choice to make
I feel bereft
For others always made the decision I had to take
I went left

The journey felt like it had been going on for an eon
I learned to enjoy the journey, not knowing where I was headed
Just kept going on and on
And to my luck the road never ended

— The End —