Poetry

My Poetry

A selection of poems I wrote whilst living in Saudi Arabia and belonging to several writer's communities

[2011-2015]

King of the Desert

I once ruled the desert, my worth knew no bounds
My resilience was awed, against sandy surrounds
All the while praying, mounted on my smooth back
Cultured men fought and chased far away tracks
More than just a creature, their family I became
Adorned with fine silks, and treated the same

I once ruled the desert, those days now long gone
My legs are bound tight, my glory outshone
A mechanical bearer, on where I now sit
Watched by beloved desert, I feel her teeth grit
Passing shiny cold sculptures leaping up to the sky
Exhausted slaves toil, my heart it does cry

I once ruled the desert, why is this my demise?
The ransom of grease is no match for my pride
Once I stood proudly, now I don’t feel the ground
Herded like cattle, my objections propound
If I reign no more, who sits in my place?
He brings dollars and pounds, albeit no grace

I once ruled the desert, carrying men on my back
Today men carry me, how cruel is that?

A Boy's Smile

Two different homes, his parents apart
School holiday splits, both calendars marked

Displays of framed photos, in each house they stand
Show a boy smiling, they misunderstand
He’s prompted to grin, in each moment they fake
To prove to themselves, the divorce no mistake

A few years later, accustomed to double life
Manipulating through guilt, he’s become more and more wise
"Dad lets me do it," so he gets his own way
Mum buys him new games. "He’s so lucky," they say
He’s mastered his smile, and learnt to put on
A custody battle, from which he has won

More years have passed by, he is now a young man
Unsure of his feelings, his existence a scam
Mistrusting of people, his cynicism reeks
Yet he carries his smile, so you think him not weak
Gives girls his words freely, though never his heart
To understand him completely, they must go to the start

The Colour Green

Bangladesh, Sylhet, Kuru Gao is its name
Or Nani’s Bari (village) as we all grew to claim
That’s where my mind heads at the mention of green
A place of fond memories, cacophony, serene

You knew you’d left the city as the boredom ebbed away
The sight of lush rice paddies, the odd bull chewing hay
Then the narrow man-made road would come to an end
We’d jump out the van, walk the path nature intends

Screaming young cousins, barefoot and running swift
Would catch up to us laughing, our luggage they’d lift
In the distance she’d be waiting, Nani in a white saree
Her heart so full of joy, in plain sight, roaming free

Slipping on monsoon mud beneath towering trees
As we raced to a murky green pool, amidst the warm breeze
With snakes and stories of ‘dhewla’ creatures within
I sat watching on bamboo steps, where crabs pinched my skin

Nani’s late afternoon snacks, were always perfectly timed
We’d be gathered outside, to watch trees being climbed
Coconuts would soon drop by our darting little feet
Pomelo salad, mangoes, peanuts – better than sweets

Many years have now passed since my Nani was there
To visit the gao without youth, my heart wouldn’t bear
So instead I delve in and search beyond the smokescreen
And I’m back in Nani’s Bari at the mention of ‘green’

Only Human

Fist meets her soul
With earth-shattering force
I’m only human
He whimpers
Knowing how she unravels

A thousand apologies
Splinters on her flesh

She pulls them out
Over time
Leaving scars in their place
She knows she must flee
He’s only human
Like me

So she stays

Shades

There is beauty in Black
There is beauty in White
And in all the shades
In between

There is history in Black
There is history in White
And in all the shades
We have been

A Hanging Canvas

My Lord is One
He created all
Beauty in the eyes that see

A changing canvas
Hangs in the sky
He paints for you and me

A moment’s marvel
At His designs
Others do not perceive

A changing canvas
Hangs in the sky
A reason why I believe

Fly Away Fingers

Fly away fingers
Racing with my thoughts
Fly away fingers
To capture what is caught