Habbibi (My Love)

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Habbibi

(My Love)

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.

"Habbibiti!" 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?"

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, Habbibi." 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.

"Habbibi! My Habbibi!" 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 me 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 H.M..
my love