Poetry for Palestine

When?

In a month … maybe two… a year… maybe two

Wounds would calm down

Would ease… and go to sleep… maybe even pass away

My wound is not the same

The size of my wound

Bigger than scope of space

The age of my wound

Older than time

Good-bye years of happiness

Sweet dreams

Genuine smiles

Good-bye my life

Good-bye my love

Sweetheart

I see you… far… far away… out of my reach…

I gasp for you

On the brink of insanity I linger

Broken… lonely… remnants of a woman I sit and wait

Sweetheart

I see you far… far away… out of my reach…

I see you with my heart

With my soul

With my love

I see your hands

Your smile… your laughter

Your words… your voice

Your gaze… your brow

Sweetheart

I see you far… far away… out of my reach…

Aimless… breathless… on the path of insomnia that I never took before

I race

Every step without you is blind darkness

Every move… a wobbly venture

Every blink… an aborted dream

Every heartbeat… a paradise lost

Every breath I take is a craving new wound

Sweetheart

The night of longing has spread its wings out

Over a yearning wounded woman

Aching to see

An end

To all this pain

13-10-2006

© Copyright 2006 Nahida Izzat -PoetryforPalestine – All Rights Reserved 

Now I whisper

You are my joy and my sorrow

You used to whisper

When you smile and when you laugh

You make me the happiest man on earth

You used to whisper

When you’re hurt or when you cry

My heart is filled with grief and gloom

You used to whisper

Detached, my feelings are lifeless

A broken mirror… a scrambled shadow

You used to whisper

My feelings are nothing but a faint echo

You are my joy and my sorrow

You used to whisper

Your love taught me anguish and delight

Now I whisper

You are my joy and my sorrow

Now I whisper

12-03-2006

© Copyright 2006 Nahida Izzat -PoetryforPalestine – All Rights Reserved 

Longing

Longing to touch your face

Tell you how beautiful

Just like your soul

Longing to hold your hand

Tell you how warm

Just like your heart

Longing to stroke your hair

Tell you how soft

Just like your manners

Longing to gaze into your eyes

Tell you how gorgeous

Just like your charisma

Longing to hear your voice

Tell you how tender

Just like your personality

Longing to caress your brow

Tell you how pure

Just like your essence

Longing to lay by your side

Tell you how safe

Just like your company

Longing to nibble from your fingers

Tell you how delicious

Just like your persona

Longing to hear your keys in the door

Tell you how comforting

Just like your presence

Longing to receive your emails

Tell you how uplifting

Just like your spirit

Longing to see your number on my mobile

Tell you how exciting

Just like your friendship

Longing to chat with you on msn

Tell you how moving

Just like your love

Longing to rest in your arms

And sleeeeep

Sleep for ever

Longing to lay my head

Over your shoulders

Bury my face

In your chest

And weep

Weeeeeep

As I’ve never done before

I need to weep

And fill the oceans with my tears

I need to weep

Until the world weeps with me

I need to weep

Until The Most Compassionate

Feels sorry for me

And reunites me with you

For I am longing

To be with you

Habibi

5-2-2006

© Copyright 2006 Nahida Izzat -PoetryforPalestine – All Rights Reserved 

Like two small children

Do you remember that magical afternoon?

When the sun smiled at us

And like two fascinated children

We smiled back

Then, like two playful children

We ran together

Chasing a butterfly

On the hills of Windermere

Like two happy children

We wandered together

As we enjoyed our fruity ice-cream

Along the lake’s shoreline

Like two innocent children

We played together

Arranging cups and saucers for our picnic

In our secret garden

Like two mischievous children

We giggled together

As we collected the scattered petals of roses

That the newly-wed couple threw away

And like two joyful children

We laid ourselves down on the grass

Embracing heaven…

And earth

As we rolled over

Do you remember?

12-2-2006

 © Copyright 2006 Nahida Izzat -PoetryforPalestine – All Rights Reserved 

Let there be love

I am in pain

Yes…

Too much pain

I don’t deny

Yet wings of joy are spread wide

Carrying me through

Lifting me high

Joy of knowing you

So closely

Joy of being part of your life

If only for a while

Joy of sharing memories

That no one knows but you and me

And if I was to choose another life

I’d choose my life with you again

And again

And again

And again

If you make a home for “love” within your heart

Despite the pain your life becomes a home for joy

Let there be love

There’ll always be joy

10-2007

 © Copyright 2006 Nahida Izzat -PoetryforPalestine – All Rights Reserved 

 © Copyright 2006 Nahida Izzat -PoetryforPalestine – All Rights Reserved 

Khaled; my legend

I plait my poem,

 Letters of heavenly fragrance

Arranging its words

 A bouquet of scented flowers

I sang its melody

Whispers of soft musk and pink amber

Pouring it down upon your heart

A cascade of lights

Tranquility and peace

I gather its pages of autumn leaves  

From the land of wonderful dreams

Adorned with paintings, sublime

Rainbow colours and Eastern nights

With a mystical thread of stars

I embroider my legendary love story

A book, like no other

A masterpiece of passion

A testimony of Divine grace

A saint’s adoration of paradise

Weaving Joseph’s coat of multicolour

Of summer’s warmth

The glory of spring

And the longing in lovers’ hearts

Throw it over your shoulders

Heavenly embrace

Then, with a child’s magical wand

Turn you into a sparkle of light

 Hide you in my heart

Cherishing and protecting you

To blossom with eternal life

That matches your name

My beloved husband

1996

Khaled is an Arabic name which means eternal life, it’s also my husband’s name

© Copyright 2006 Nahida Izzat -PoetryforPalestine – All Rights Reserved 

Land of sorrow

Do you remember

When I wrote my legend

With my magical wand

I turned you into a sparkle of light

Then hid you in my heart

That sparkle has then exploded

A novel big bang

A universe of love came into being

With a thousand thousand stars

Dazzling… Splendid… Sublime

If I was to divide that love

Between all creation

It would suffice and sustain

Do you remember Joseph’s coat of multicolour

I once embroidered for you

Threw over your shoulders

That coat has then expanded

Embracing me along with you

Can you feel me by your side?

That coat has been growing ever since

Holding mankind under its wings

Magical… What a sight!

In my land of sorrow

Love grows divine and tender

Passion blooms pink and amber

Beauty enchants, please remember

07-03-2006

© Copyright 2006 Nahida Izzat -PoetryforPalestine – All Rights Reserved