a thought for you, each day

each day,
i will write a line,
asking you,
how you are,
wishing you,
a very great day.

each day,
i will whisper a little prayer,
hoping that you are doing fine,
wishing for those sparkling eyes,
to stay twinkling.

each day,
i will tug you up at night,
with hugs and gentle lullabies,
carried over by the calm night breeze.

each day,
i will tell the universe my secret mission,
thinking that you would understand.

how much i really care about you

even without you knowing it

14/08/2009

in a dream

magically transported back
to that tiny space
of you and i

blabbering words of apology

that dismissive glance
over your left shoulder

and

‘you’re the best thing that happened to me in this ****’

me flabbergasted
jolted back to the waking world

14/08/09

Love story at the Angkor

Never before I felt such tranquility,
In the midst of such unfamiliar terrain,
Encountering unfamiliar feelings.

A sense of awe,
And peacefulness,
In the midst of all the newness of the situation.

For once in my life,
I jumped on a plane,
Leaving a mountain of responsibilities and self doubt,
And embarked on a crazy, spontaneous journey.

Looking back and having no regret,
Feeling the waves of love taking over me.

Wanting to shut my eyes tight,
Losing myself…
But I opened them wide instead,
And felt the love,
Indulging myself.

For it was a time,
For me, my camera, and the sun,
Beneath the shadows of the Angkor temples.

Summer 2009

PS: for two of my most amazing best friends, thank you for making this experience possible.

Bangkok is a lousy place to be alone

Bangkok is a lousy place to be alone…
I guess I told you that already.

The noise of traffic,
The rich colors of fabrics and people,
The fragrance of pad thai, pineapple, fried grasshoppers, and incense,
Engulfing me,
Like a shroud around my being.

The lighted signs of cafes and restaurants,
The shoulders rubbing my shoulders,
The glances cast at my direction,
The thoughts swirling in my head,
The voice inside my heart calling out your name.

In the midst of the humdrum of Khao San road,
I have never felt so alone.

Bangkok is a lousy place to be alone,
And though you’re with me,
I am missing you already.

Summer 2009

perching up high...

looking out of the window
from the fifth floor of the building without elevator

I caught a whiff of the now familiar aroma of this city

diesel fume of the perpetually honking taxis
gasoline fume of the zooming Land Cruisers
fragrant aroma of the various kebab corners….
and the familiar throat choking dust carried by the desert wind
whistling through the windows of my classroom

and I cannot be grateful enough
for the fact that the wind was blowing the ‘right’ way
instead of filling my mouth with the taste of the light brown city dust

Oh how sometimes I wish I had brought my pashmina along…



Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies & Yemen Language Center

Sana’a, June 21, 2009