I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO HER


December, 2009 – Damascus

Ayad Gharbawi


Myself
I tried to refresh her Mind
To the Inexactitudes of Beauty’s Truth
Wherein she then found me even more
Loathsome

You see, listen, here:
She tended to readily
Sway towards the jesters
Made of rosy perfume

I complained!
But to what avail?
None!
I began to think elsewhere
What if my 'words' have no
Connectivity
To this Damsel?
Then what ought I to do?


Her Mind told her Whispers
That were
In essence
I can confirm
Rather far too confusing
Romantic language?
What absurdities!
And so, indeed
She became confused
As I
Tried to express my opinion on what is going on
Between us
Which was precisely that which
Is inexact
But her Heart drove her fanatically
Towards Irrationality
Whereby that really
All over again
Did leave me
All too Disconnected
From her

One dull night
She screamed, “So what then do you say love is after all?”
I exclaimed calmly,
“What love is, “
She interrupted me, screaming further,
''Speak words, you make no sense!
”Always, when you speak, I lose myself
“And that does frighten me”

And, I attempted to paint for her a candid portrait
Of what ‘love’ is and
What ‘love’ is not
She did not like the portrait at all
As per the usual
“Ah well”, I said, sighing
“For this is after all, is what love is
“Never! never!” she screamed
Typically

I told her:
“You do remind me of Dorian Gray!
“Do you not?

“For you deny reality
“Of the indefinables
“You do not understand
“That nothing is Certain
“In our Existence
“Save the dour End!
“And that is where
“You find so many
“Difficulties
“In your fully perturbed
“Solitary life”.