Habibi
Eyes as black as night
And skin like caramelized sugar
In a thawb as white as clouds
In an azure sky
You appeared like a vision
To my hungry eyes.
I watched you walk
Through the gardens
And the vines seemed
To reach for you
With tiny green fingers
That I wished were mine.
Everywhere there was
The scent of flowers
And spices, rare and fragrant
Floated in the air
Above your head
And trailed behind you
In the dust.
You moved like a lion
Regal and confident
Like a Prince
Yet somehow, approachable
Even as I shrank back
Into the roses
And the shadow's embrace.
You carried something
In your hand
Wrapped in silk
And tied with ribbon
And all my friends who watched you
Wished it was for them.
Pretending to be busy
With chore or garden,
They looked away
And bent round
With their baskets
And giggled in their hands.
"Habibti!" I heard you call out
And my heart melted in my breast
"Come forth, Little Flower
I have a gift I have brought you!"
And all the girls looked at me
With daggers in their eyes
And wished they could be me.
Pulling you back into the arbor,
You laughed and dropped your gift
And took me in your arms
"Why are you hiding, my heart?
Why are you always playing games?"
And my dark eyes looked up into yours
And my soul joined with yours
As it did every time we met
And longed to be permanently
And eternally joined.
"Have you been weeping, Jameela?"
You asked,
You asked,
Looking closely at my face
"Who has made my Yar Amar cry?"
You asked, alarmed and I tried to hide my tears
"It's nothing, Habibi." I say
"Nothing, my Ishq, all is well."
But all was not well but how could
I tell you, my Ha Rouhi
That my father had taken all hope away
With his sudden announcement
At the noon meal.
"I have found you a husband, Noor."
He said matter-of-factly
As I passed him the bread
With my eyes cast low
My mother clapped her hands
And smiled like the moon
When it is full.
"Sa ha!" she exclaimed happily
Flitting around the room like a butterfly
Intisar with joy at the thought
Of her only daughter being wed
And never knowing that I was already wed
In my heart.
"Habibi! My Habibi!" I cried
And threw myself into your arms
"I can't believe what my father has done to me!"
"What? What?" you asked loudly
And shook my by the arms
"What has your father done to you, Roohi?"
"Qalbi! Qalbi!, I will die, I will die!"
I wept, panic taking hold of me
"I will not marry anyone else! Never, never, never!"
And I collapsed on the green grass
At your feet.
You stood there in stunned silence
For many long eternities
As I died and was reborn over and over again
Only to die again of a broken heart.
You picked the silk wrapped package
Off the ground and held it in your hands
Trying to make sense of what I was telling you
Wondering what you would say to me
When I stopped crying.
And then a smile broke out on your handsome face
Like the sun breaking through the clouds
And you grabbed me up in your arms
And danced me 'round and 'round.
"Have you gone mad?" I shouted at you
And all the girls in the gardens looked up sharply
And all around to see what the conflict was
Hoping that it was you setting me free
So that they might take my place.
"Jameela, roohi, love of my life!" you said
And tore open the package,
Took out a bracelet of rubies,
And slipped it on my wrist
As I looked at you like a mad man.
"It is I."
"It is I that your father wishes you to marry!
My father has been meeting with him all week
And I was just told of their decision this morning!"
Hardly believing my ears, I stood there
Covering my huge smile with my hands
Then I stretched out my arm
To admire the bracelet.
And then I grabbed your hand
And we went running through the gardens
Like children, laughing like children
While all my jealous friends watched
And swore, un-lady-like underneath their breath.
©by Voo
Jan 22, 2019
2:56 a.m.
For Hamid,
my love
wherever you are
my love
wherever you are
