Archives / Poem

3

Flicker of Hope

Numbness overcomes me once I finally see That I beg for a savior, but it is in vain that I plea. Storm clouds enshroud the sunrise As we commence the unveiling of lies. The pleasure some find in others’ pain Is a cruelty by which the pretentious kings reign. It is through the darkness of deceit, I perceive, That they speak articulately, but only to deceive. Anguish makes my throat constricted; Let this be the last time our hearts are conflicted. As the universe comes crashing to the ground,...

22 May 2013 | Afflictions, Environment, Perseverance | , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments
4

To Tape to My Dorm Wall

My sister, know that only a prayer keeps us afloat for tomorrow: pulling down, pushing through the boarded window. I pack three suitcases for part two of the world: sleeping in, cheap wine, tax forms, sorority girls. I will miss my little brother calling adhan. Will I wake for fajr, a pink dawn? In a few months, I will have all Ramadhan, alone, to leash myself, to work my way through a plastic box of Palestine’s sweetest pitted dates. This summer, I’ll be packing my bags and preparing to...

13 March 2013 | Environment, Time, Travels | , , , , , | 4 Comments
7

Burn Away

I. I walk upon what ceases to remain, Where neither wall nor beam was spared. I walk on broken glass of windowpanes On a night when no one else seems to care. I cannot tell a soul to protect my name, This house holds with it a burden of shame. I recount many a dream of this day, This rubble, this pungent smell in the air Of rage, agony, and sullen clouds of grey. I witness the aftermath of my nightmare. As I walk through the remnants and traces,...

27 February 2013 | Relationships | , , , , , , | 7 Comments
10

Mirror of A Believer

Mirror, mirror on the wall, Reflecting the past, the treacherous falls, My soul’s weaknesses pierce your glare, And reflect again on my own despair. Trembling and sore, I seek to erase The failures that are bolded, retraced. My blood boils, tears well up in my eyes, My chest constricts as my throat runs dry. Regret seeps into my aching veins, As memories of vice leak through the pain. I stare narrowly as I clench my teeth, And let out a crippled cry in the face of defeat. “Forgiveness, mercy,”...

14 February 2013 | Evaluation, Purification, Reflection, Repentance | , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments
12

The Taste of Death

What if your day had arrived? Imagine if your entire life was a lie. Assess yourself as your sins flash by; You’re wasting your youth and you don’t know why. Tears flow, but there’s no time left to cry - You’ve got one last breath, one last sigh. The Angel of Death has come too soon; He snatches your soul with a startling boom. In an instant, you know that you are doomed. “Kullu nafsin dhaa iqatul maut. Thumma ilayna tur ja’oon.” He warned you, He warned you; did...

01 February 2013 | Death | , , , , , , , | 12 Comments
3

With A Soul, I Fly

The following piece, “With a Soul, I Fly” by Hibbah Haddam, was chosen from a selection of submissions for Expressions: Sisters’ Open Mic, an event at George Mason University sponsored by Muslim Youth Musings. On November 28th, participants were given the opportunity to share poetry, perform spoken word in front of an audience, and compete for a chance to be published on MYM. A group of seven talented young female poets and spoken word artists rose to the challenge, exuding inspiration with powerful imagery, clever satire, smooth rhymes, and...

21 January 2013 | Nature, Optimism | , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments
7

I See Creation

Open the world. What do you see? Hidden within the vibrant blues, I see lace coral, starfish, The seadragon carrying life on its tail, In distant lands, A Komodo dragon hatches, Pebble toads camouflage themselves, Serpents slither in silence, An iguana roams the roasting desert. I see creation. In the world around me, I see sunflowers, delicate blossoms, Dragon’s blood trees:  dense emerald canopies In the mosaic of rainforests. I watch damselflies, bustling bees living in secrecy, The butterfly of the night chasing the stars, Fireflies burning and dancing...

04 January 2013 | Nature, Reflection | , , , , | 7 Comments
18

The Finish Line

Tasks and assignments piled high Due dates and deadlines on the rise Not a moment to stop, to think of life I race through my time: The days just pass me by, The weekends are a blur– Weekdays even more. I drown in my time: I am drifting far away. There is no time– I feel To make dua’a and pray. My prayers are like exercise– No longer do I value The meaning of sujood, The meaning of khushu’. I sink through my time: Reciting Quran mindlessly, Chanting istighfar...

25 December 2012 | Evaluation, Prayer, Time, Worship | , , , , , , , | 18 Comments
2

Quills of Wisdom

There was a time When the universe ended At the walls of my room. But when the veil was lifted And my horizon expanded, I became lost in the vastness That was laid before me; I marveled at wonders That entered my sight. I found wisdom like a sea That irrigated both The named and unnamed. I picked lessons like fruits From trees of stories. My days were reflections – Shared and received. I saw everything as pages to The book of the world. I saw speech as a...

28 November 2012 | Qur'an, Wisdom | , , , , , , , | 2 Comments
7

Jumping Off the World

“Have you ever felt like jumping off the world?” Upon the questioner’s face my gaze falls. Frozen tears avalanche and melt into warm streams. Her face screams through tired creases as she whispers, “I want my fingertips to grace the sky as it blushes a stain of plum With my arms thrown up as I dive off the earth and splash into the universe.” I watch her peer back at me from behind the watery curtains that drape her irises. “Eardrums burst and walls shatter when they spit spears...

01 September 2012 | Afflictions | , , , , , | 7 Comments
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