I was cleaning out some books and stumbled upon some short poems I wrote in 2015. Here is one of them! 
Love will find you,
even if you’ve given up
on it.
It is, slowly,
starting to
creep on me.
I will hold my ground.
It shall not be
a battleground
of shattered hearts.
–A.S.
2015
I was cleaning out some books and stumbled upon some short poems I wrote in 2015. Here is one of them!
I am weary
Of being told not to be weary
Yet when I am at ease
I’m told to put my relaxation on freeze…
For there is much that calls my attention
So I am aware and go everywhere
Then I am told, as a friendly recommendation
To ease up a bit and take a vacation.
So I pack up for it only to be told
There are pressing matters here – put your plans on hold!
You can imagine how weary I get
When told not to be such
For when I take it light-heartedly,
It still seems to be too much!
~
–A.S.
2015
I was cleaning out some books and stumbled upon some short poems I wrote in 2015. Here is one of them!
Oh, sweet rain
Do what rain does…
Drown
my needless worries away
Drench
my heart with gratitude throughout the day
Purify
my thoughts that from importance stray
Shower
upon me realisations of wise insights implanted
Let every droplet of water
alert me to a blessing I have taken for granted
Oh sweet rain, in all that you do
Rain upon me what the merciful rain can do.
-A.S.
August 26, 2015
Oh, to come to a decision
That was a weight on the chest…
Though there were very opposite options,
Each seemed both better and best…
Simply unable to focus on anything,
All thoughts between this dilemma pressed!
Both roads involving risks
But which risks are most worthy to take?
Shall I think mostly with my head and logic trust,
Or my heart to avoid facing a heartache?
After a painstakingly long time of thinking
Of how to see a clear-sky view behind these boulders
I finally came to a firm choice –
And what a mountain load off my shoulders!
I finally made a decision, and
It doesn’t matter if it’s the right one or wrong.
Ultimately I thought it out, I felt it strong
And now my spirit is dancing to its song.
Grand decisions require courage to accept risks,
But courage does not come easy, nor does sacrifice
Yet some mysteries cannot be revealed
Unless you’re willing to pay uncertainty as the price.
When you come to a decision,
Breathing becomes easier and lighter.
Spring’s fragrance of hope is more vivid.
Colours are mightier and brighter.
Oh, to come to a decision
That was a weight on the chest…
When you make a firm choice,
After thinking for so long,
You will only find out later if it truly was the best choice or not.
But at least you were being courageous all along.
A.S.
April 23/18
The longing that sweet memories cannot satisfy?The heart-flying feeling under the umbrella of a blue sky?The breaking sweet pain that holds the hand of healing?The steady chaotic rhythm of events unfurling and swirling?The melody of rising and slippery sliding hopes?The recognition of metaphysical ropes and incredible power to cope?The music of even anxiety, suspense, and naive expectation?The new life breathed into one held hostage in a moment of inspiration?The way one’s heart swells at the sounds of truth and recognition?
When you think of poetry, your mind drifts to paper
Paper with words artistically linked together by a writer…
But what if I were to declare that poetry can be wordless, too?
《》
Poetry is the wind’s sweet caresses on your cheeks through an open window
Poetry is allowing your inner positive energy to surge upwards and make you glow
《》
Poetry is the majestic standing of a white mosque’s pillars
Poetry is entering a new space and feeling like it’s somehow all familiar
《》
Poetry is the resilience-themed messages sprayed about with graffiti paint
Poetry is reading a soul-fulfilling book in a cozy coffeehouse so quaint
《》
Poetry is the quiet playing of Coldplay’s best songs against the backdrop of Ramallah’s streets
Poetry is you turning an empty canvas and acrylic paint into your own secret retreat
《》
Poetry is the plentiful “astaghfirullah” signs on orderly lined up palm trees
Poetry is the cheerful morning sounds of roosters and darling birdies
《》
Poetry is the waterfall-like effect of vines against rocky walls
Poetry is the sound waves of overlapping athan, or prayer calls…
《》
When you used to think of poetry, your mind once drifted to paper
Paper with words artistically linked together by a writer…
But now you know, based on the journeys you flew
That poetry can also be wordless, too.
God always knows Best.
Nov.19, 2017, on the way to Hebron from Ramallah
– A.S.
Have you ever found your soul’s song scattered about?
There you are
Seeking…
Searching…
Finding it…
Between bulky boulders and rocks
In quaint dessert cafés that barely sleep, no matter the clock
Among thorny plants and at the sight of a cactus
Under thick soft blankets that melt your coldness into bliss
During a simple olive-picking activity
Or when standing beneath the shade of a lemon tree —
Have you ever found your soul’s song scattered about?
Have you ever found your heart beats scattered about?
There you are
Seeking…
Searching…
Finding it…
In a yellow taxi cab playing classical Fayrouz
During a road trip car playing Oumayma Khalil tunes
In a stab of nostalgia, hearing Rihanna in a Hebron shopping mall
At the sight of a man proudly galloping in traffic, on a horse so tall
Against the backdrop of scents, spices and music in the open marketplace
With the rhythm of footsteps walking distances in the lit-up night space —
Have you ever found your heart’s beats scattered about?
Have you ever found your mind’s thoughts scattered about?
There you are
Seeking…
Searching…
Finding it…
In the eyes of kind, compassionate, down-to-earth people
As you acknowledge this land was walked on by prophets without equal
In the bubbling words of an enlightened, engaging conversation
Upon entering any shop that is casually playing Quranic recitation
In the sanctity of being in the Ibrahimi Mosque, or Cave of Patriarchs
In the old stone buildings, colourful fall vines, and structural archs —
Have you ever found your mind’s thoughts scattered about?
Have you ever found your soul’s song, heart and mind
All
Debating, wondering, arguing,
persuading, agreeing, disagreeing,
musing, guessing, being certain,
being uncertain, pondering, reflecting —-
On what home means?
On where home is?
Who home is?
Why home is?
Alas.
Have you ever found your soul’s song, heart and mind scattered about?
And Allah knows Best.
-A.S.
-Written November 11, 2017
I’ve travelled across certain parts
Of the East and West
And witnessed that which
Boldly stands and passes time’s test.
Whether I saw the confident
Waterfalls of Niagara Falls
Or the humbling mountains
In Palestine, proud and tall
Or the talented clouds that softly dance
Across the skies
And beautifully play with the sun,
Lingering behind them in disguise…
Immediately,
What comes to mind
Is how these creations
Stood, and passed, the test of time.
Whether I saw the ancient powerful
Pillars of the Masjid al-Aqsa
Or the Aya-Sofya and Blue Mosque
In Turkey, full of awe
Or the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem…
I notice one thing all these
Man-made structures have in common…
They stood their ground
Through rain and sunshine
I can only marvel at how
They passed the test of time.
The architects of sacred buildings
Thought not of modernly dull designs
They contemplated a timeless beauty
That revealed their reverence for the Divine.
And beauty…
When it is pure beauty sublime…
Stands… demands…
And passes the test of time.
Rocky mountains and vast oceans
Cheerful birds and ringed wise trees
Fruits of all colours and degrees of flavors
Loyal horses and honeybees…
They exist to glorify their Creator
By doing what they were always meant to do
What it means to finally catch the truth
Is to learn how to be true, to you.
His creation alone puts
In our chests
Instant feelings of humility, sincerity
And tranquil rest.
And sincerity…
When it is true sincerity… shines.
And it can stand
And pass, the test of time.
As for myself, I wonder
Will I pass the test of time?
Will who I am assemble to become a lasting poem
Or am I to be as insignificant as a silly rhyme?
Will my actions
And my words
Both the spoken
And unheard…
Will my thoughts
And my beliefs
Moments of joy,
Moments of grief…
Through and with them,
Will it end in cause of praise or condemn?
Will my minuscule deeds of goodness
Live on even when I am lifeless?
All these miracles and signs around us
Showing us what it means to pass
The test of a lifetime
If only I can always be aware
That I have yet to pass
Life’s test of mine.
And Allah (God) knows Best.
-A.S.
~ Dedicated to those who smile in the faces of others – those they know, and those they do not. Smiling is charity for the soul.
All these people
Who care primarily for an air of seriousness
Lest their light-heartedness be deemed heedlessness
They assuming my quiet nature expects formality
So formal are they I forget the sounds of gentle hilarity.
And so when I met you,
Surprised I had to be,
When you burst out laughing
At a joke I said half-heartedly.
All these people
Who care primarily for faces of solemnity
Lest their openly wild spirits be deemed social abnormality
They assuming my conservative nature requires they tread cautiously
So cautious are they that I forget the sounds of charming
awkwardness.
And so when I met you,
Pleasantly unsettled I had to be
When your eyes poured a river of kind laughter
Upon seeing my friendly smile immediately.
People can crack smiles,
Or make you smile,
But you,
You are nothing but smiles.
People can force a laugh,
Or make you laugh,
But you,
You are nothing but pure laughter.
People can feel joy,
Or bring you joy,
But you,
You are made of nothing but joy.
All these people,
Mundanely living to get by, with things to regret after
But when I met you,
You spared no time before filling my heart with laughter.
And God knows best.
Written on city bus, Nov.15/16, 9:03 PM.
-A.S.
~
I will peel it from my heart
Like a sticker from paper;
A sticker that has stayed on for far too long
And now runs the risk of ripping the substance it’s on.
Yet still, like an A+ sticker Mistakenly placed on a failing essay, You, too, were never meant to be attached to, Much less in my life stay.
And so, I tell you thank you for all that you are
And inspired me to be
But I need to move on from you
To focus on realer things in my destiny.
So yes, I will peel you from my heart’s beat
Like a stubborn sticker from a delicate paper sheet
And though the ripping may hurt and sting
It will, at long last, give my heart new wings.
And God knows Best.
-A.S.
