Prodigal Sorrow wears a new face.
Untended my door welcomes strangers.
Drifting silence resounds Within emptiness.
Constant companion Of the unfulfilled .
Stubborn shadows Defy the day
Amidst their jostling lives toss and turn.
Crippled senses support indiscretions
Hostage to tempestuous moods Reason cries.
Blurred fantasies sound the knell
Of ill-defined purpose -still born.
Stark images of what is
And what could be -endlessly displayed.
Tempests rage Within,
Without the  sea redeems itself.
Benign neglect clothes the tattered form.
Hand outstretched Life implores the living.
Once welcome guest ensconsed,
Litters my home -no longer welcome.
Amid the stars radiant Galaxies
Of uncharted dreams Seek direction.
In the cradle stirs anew
The pulsing rhythm of human *******.
A dawn illuminates
A new way, a new path.
Ajar, the door
Crowned with tentative blossoms
Ushers a smile.
Myriad choruses in tandem
Drive Sorrow out
My home is yet mine.

Dreaming as the sunset kissed the sky
By the lake I heard a lady cry
On my question "Alas" she wept aloud
With each sunset a little of my youth will fly

Oh gentle lady by the lake
Why weep you here for beauty's sake
A lost youth your eyes in the pool can see
From Time's gaze a shelter of dreaming make.

For even as the koyal in the trees shall sing
And blossoming flowers herald the spring
The ale from our barrel will drip away, my love
Fill now your cup- some cheer to bring.

Come, come my love, leave behind
Your whims and fancies, your troubled mind
That youth and beauty that a mockery make
Of life-their crippling chains unbind

In dreams did my mind reveal
Life's truths-and in mute appeal
Beseech me-let youth and beauty by
Her laughter did all that knowledge steal

It didn't begin-it could not end
Just endless hours somehow to spend
-E'en as mornings turned to night-
Telling tales a haunted soul to mend.

Once, just once, upon a Dawn
By my window, a bird forlorn
Sat singing wisdom's song to me
I rose and grasped-and the bird was gone.

So I clung on to what I knew
Must surely die-just like the dew
With morn-Time's callous winds destroyed
My laughter as over my life they blew.

Yet, still, I seek those moonlit pools
And worlds where bold Folly rules
Seeking paths some more to stray
My skies ablaze in radiant hues.

Not   yet   the   tide   of   war   is   spent
Red   stains   the   Tigris's   timeless   flow
Death's   haze   cloaks   my   lovely   skies
Stark   my   temples   smouldering   glow.

My   mothers   carried   in   their   wombs
Old   spirits   of   an   ancient   land
Today   my   children's   pride   is   torn
By   a   cursed   invader's   hand.

Resounding   to   a   stubborn   faith
For   years   I   watched   each   day   behold,
-Tho'   hostage   to   a   callous   world-
My   children's   spirits   strong   and   bold.

There   were   days   when   hunger   struck
And   ills   had   found   no   chance   of   cure
I   saw   my   children   ,    young   and   old
Still   keep   their   faith-   fine   and   pure.

My   name   adorned   so   many   a   verse
And   long   ,    my   gates,    the   traveller's   sought
My   glories   they   could   scarce   divine
Whose   souls   by   dimes   and   cents   are   bought.

I   thought   those   tales   of   ancient   times
The   renown   that   once   I   had   known
Would   stay   marauding   guns   and   tanks
And   let   bloom   the   seeds   that   I   had   sown.

I   thought   there   was   still   the   hope
That   Time   had   taught   most   men   to   feel
The   anguish   of   the   orphaned   child
Watching   Death   its   parents   steal.

They   seek   to   wrest   from   deep   within
The   essence   of   my   children's   life,
Their   falsehoods   born   of   grasping   greed
Condemned   me   to   this   ******   strife.

Now   will   they   strip   this   fallen   prey
Like   vultures   gathered   from   afar
None   sought   to   hear   my   anguished   cry
Or   stem   this   accursed   tide   of   war.

This   ancient   land   will   nurse   its   wounds
In   silence-   nor   lament   the   day,
But   nightly   my   desert   winds   shall   curse
Those   hands   that   dared   upon   me   lay.

Tomorrow,    Tomorrow   -I'll   be   there
When   my   tormentors   long   are   gone
So   Mother   grieve   not   for   your   child
Await   with   me   those   to   be   born.

They'll   nurture   till   the   end   of   time
The   seeds   of   anger   and   of   hate
Raise   to   the   skies   my   hoary   head
And   roar   defiance   at   my   Fate.

Such   thunder   will   the   Heaven's   rent
The   stars   avenging   orbs   of   light
As   ancient   spirits   across   the   land
Chain   foes   to   dungeons   of   the   night.

I'll   rise   again,    tall   and   strong
Eternal   as   my   desert's   sand
Nourished   by   the   coursing   blood
Of   martyrs   of   this   Arab   land.

I'll   tell   my   tale   before   I   leave,
Love   happens   -   that   I   do   believe
To   all   of   us,    when   least   we   dare
The   Fate's   decide   when   and   where..

Words   that   tell   what   I   have   seen
Of   places   where   you   too   have   been.
Were   we   then   wrong   not   to   hold
Dreams   encased   in   clothes   of   gold.

Before   the   sun's   high   on   the   day,
A   thousand   luminous   pearls   display
Spells   that   the   night   had   cast
Radiant   though   the   night   is   past.

Did   you   not   scout   all   around
To   trace   the   faint   bubbling   sound
Of   laughter   born   without   a   cause
Your   breath   enmeshed   in   a   pause

To   taste   the   joys   of   careless   dreams
Like   petals   floating   on   the   streams
Oblivious   where   the   waters   go
Just   knowing   they'll   forever   flow.

Did   you   once   dream,    of   a   night,
Past   the   slowly   fading   light
A   dream   that   just   seemed   to   be
For   your   sleeping   eyes   to   see.

Your   feet   were   meant   just   to   grace
Paths   of   fragrant   gossamer   lace
Cradles   in   bursting   colours   styled
Held   rainbow   dreams   swirling   wild

Proud   hearts   once   taught   not   to   feel
Now   in   your   path   learn   how   to   kneel
And   in   your   dream   you   saw   a   face,
Glimpsed   and   gone   without   a   trace.

Something   made   you   hold   your   glance
Not   beauty,    nor   just   naughty   chance,
You   woke   and   you   knew   the   day
Had   come   to   give   your   heart   away.

Afraid,    you   said   "stay   still   and   cold"
Mere   mortals   can't   such   sights   behold
God's   angels   flit   in   sudden   flight
You   saw   them   in   the   drowsy   light

Smelt   the   flowers   of   sudden   love
Showered   by   the   Gods   above
Restraint   began   to   take   its   leave
As   they   their   spell   began   to   weave

Then   dream   on,    both   day   and   night
Through   the   dark,    into   the   light
For   dreams   are   free,    and   yours   to   keep
No   price   to   pay,    awake   or   asleep

Perhaps   these   words   will   make   y­ou   smile
Perhaps,    just   maybe,    for   a   while
You'll   share   with   me   the   tale   I   told
And   clothe   my   world   in   shades   of   gold.

Twisted   paths   lined   the   woods
Where   I   once   used   to   walk
There   I'd   watch   people   gather
Of   an   eve   just   to   talk

And   sense   just   the   rhythm
Of   the   road   moving   on
Listening   to   the   silences
From   Twilight   to   Dawn

In   the   cradle   of   the   night
I'd   hear   it   resound
The   song   of   the   crickets
Rising   high   from   the   ground

Past   the   woods   one   could   see
From   some   distances   away
The   homes   of   the   people
Who   chose   there   to   stay.

At   the   first   sight   of   dusk
The   lights   from   the   homes
Would   glow   in   the   woods
Like   the   lanterns   of   gnomes

In   the   midst   of   the   woods
They'd   cleared   a   little   space
Laid   the   modest   trappings
For   a   small   eating   place

On   a   simple   wooden   door
There   hung   a   small   gourd
With   a   welcoming   lamp
On   a   hand   painted   board

Four   walls   made   of   stone
In   the   shade   of   a   tree
And   windows   so   tall
From   without   you   could   see

Young   couples   who   came
To   that   place   not   to   eat
Unshackling   their   cares
From   the   day   to   retreat

The   fare,   it   was   modest
And   nothing   was   dear
You   spent   longish   hours
Mulling   over   a   beer.

I   remember   those   times
When   my   pockets   were   bare
And   all   I   could   do
Was   to   try   not   to   stare

At   faces   so   solemn
Yet   somewhat   alight
With   knowing   anticipation
Of   the   treat   of   the   night

I   remember   on   occasion
When   I   was   still   small
Nose   and   face   pressed
To   the   window   in   the   wall

On   feet   lightly   poised
From   the   owner   to   flee
Tasting   in   my   mind
The   food   I   could   see.

The   tastes   they   were   real
I   recall   till   today
Of   the   modest   eating   house
When   he   shooe'd   me   away

The   woods   are   still   there
And   so   is   the   road
Though   battered   by   age
There   hangs   still   the   board

Dimm'd   along   with   old   time
The   owner   and   the   lamp
Still   herald   a   welcome
From   the   cold   and   the   damp

With   the   gift   of   my   sire
I   stand   somewhat   tall
But   I   still   press   my   nose
To   the   window   in   the   wall.

I   see   the   white   vest
Now   quite   faded   with   age
Of   the   owner   in   the   corner
Looking   solemn   and   sage

My   pockets   aren't   bare
But   I   stand   still   a   while
Till   he   shoo'es   me   away
Though   now   with   a   smile

I   return   to   that   place
Travelling   from   afar
Again   and   Again
On   the   twenty   fifth   hour

I   know   it   will   happen
One   day   stripp'd   of   grace
Those   woods   will   be   gone
And   so   will   that   place

In   its   stead   there   will   be
A   place   stark   and   clear
No   songs   of   the   crickets
For   young   couples   to   hear.

Silence mourns alone  
That idyllic retreat
Lamenting man’s passion
Nature’s joys to defeat

I'd   know   then   to   part,
Like   a   man   from   his   lover,
Leaving   twenty   fifth   hours
For   others   to   discover.

A   sight,   a   sound,   an   unheard   voice,
Remembrance's   velvet   claws   unsheath
An   insistent   rapping   on   the
Unsuspecting   mind.

Still'd   echoes   unshackle
The   chains   of   suspended   Time.
In   faint   rumbling   murmurs
Stalk   and   violate   the   consciousness

The   dust   off   lost   days   is   stirred
Like   the   faint   rustlings   of   leaves
Touched   by   the   infant   breeze
Presage   the   storm.

A   first   stray,   drifting   thought
Arrays   the   splendour   of   memories
A   multitude   of   choices   blossom
Like   buds   with   morning   dew.

The   strains   of   lost   songs,
Innocently   echo   from   beneath
The   burden   of   accumulated   years
In   untutored   crescendo.

A   sight,   a   sound,   an   unheard   voice
Transformed the   music   of   forgotten   days,
Lightened   mood;   Time   forsakes   barren   Winter
In   the   embrace   of   an   imagined   Spring.

In   the   lost   stillness   of   night   there   shone
Again   a   glimmer   –   that   to   me   unknown
Was   the   herald   of   a   morn-born   to   the   dark
Of   an   eclipsed   world   –   barren   and   stark.

A   cautious   man   on   wisdom's   crutch   once   leaned
But   tempted   by   illusion   flung   caution   and   seemed
For   a   moment   to   soar   on   graceful   wing
Crowned   with   the   laurels   of   a   glorious   Spring.

A   hand   held   out   a   Hope   to   hold
As   beguiled   eyes   a   dream   behold
But   wing   and   grace   in   a   moment   were   done
Yet   in   the   depths   the   glimmer   still   shone.

Faith   your   name   with   Betrayal   I'll   take
And   Truth   your   wager   on   Deception   I'll   stake
For   the   Day   is   dressed   in   Night's   darkened   gown
And   still'd   is   the   song   of   the   Morn   unknown