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I. TARNISH
We procreate fate, from bones to belief,
Wearing faith like a second skin— daily
soiled, weather-worn by noise and news.

Socially religious; actions are mere talk
we preach in later posts, and not prayers.
We remember songs line for line, forgetting
words to the Word, that once shaped us.

II. INTERROGATION
Where is your faith? —asks the heart.
Where will you be in five years? —asks the mind.

And there—between tears and time— laziness
holds patience, procrastination becomes a religion.

As I wear the mask of a man knowing what he’s
doing, but the fit is too perfect –to ever feel like
Truth.

III. CONFESSION
O Lord, hear the slow-breaking cry of my soul,
lest I forget the sound of my own weeping.

My prayers, once daily bread, are now scattered
crumbs, too few, too faint to carry my mourning,
Into the morning. And you won't hear the dirge
in my less frequent prayers or their “Amen.”
JAMIL HUSSAIN Mar 15
Shall the sun’s warm kiss unveil thee so divine,
Or shall shadows rise where softest light may shine?
Will dawn's embrace reveal thy hidden grace,
Or cloak thee further in a veiled, mysterious place?

For if that veil slips, what shall remain of me?
A soul undone, adrift upon a boundless sea.
Shall I, in trembling, witness thee unfold,
Thy secret beauty, yet to be untold?

Shall I fall into the chasm of thy unspoken gaze,
Where light and dark entwine in an eternal maze?
Each layer stripped away, each truth laid bare,
Revealing thy essence, yet drowning me in despair.

For in that single moment, all shall be lost or gained,
A heart laid bare, where joy and sorrow are chained.
O' fate, dost thou mock me with such trembling fear,
To cast me upon this precipice, so near?

Shall I, in thine eyes, find both love and despair,
A fleeting breath, yet heavy beyond compare?
If thou shouldst unveil thy soul to me,
What of my own—shall I remain or cease to be?
The Chasm of Unspoken Gaze 15/03/2025 © All Rights Reserved by Jamil Hussain
He is her mirror,
The one she stands before
Whether things are good or bad.
Until she walks away,
She doesn’t understand
The cracks spreading
Across her face,
Ignoring the obvious
She applies more makeup.
Though she’s gone,
Her presence lingers,
Soon to follow.

In front of her mirror,
She could speak as freely
As she wanted,
Be seen for who she is.
In front of family and friends,
She’s quiet,
Acting out of appearance,
Ignoring the space, she thought
Was empty.

She doesn’t think about it
Until a friend brings it up.
Talking about her own love life,
A place she feels secure.
Her friend’s smile, big and bright,
While she speaks.
She thinks of him,
Her mirror.
No matter how bad she feels.
He finds a way
To make her feel better.
If something is off,
He’s quick to point it out.
He’s always there when
She needs him.
She never had to speak
To be seen when he was around.
The only place she only felt whole.
The cracks on her face shows

— The End —