Zainab in quiet contemplation

Zainab by the computer
in quiet contemplation
considering her life
in novel form:
always travelling
on a journey
from here to there
and nowhere.

Words from your mind
appear on the screen
or dance upon your notepad
and you try to tidy them up
less they get out of control.

You are sensitive
and you pay the price
in heavy burden,
sometimes
carrying the world's rubbish
on your shoulders
but you throw it out with a smile.

Your journey has been
from dictatorship and war
to Geordieland and football:
from Iraq and back
in youth and womanhood,
no easy journey for sure.

Where do you belong
you ask?
is it on the Tyne with a beer
and fish and chips
or the Euphrates with sweet tea
and chicken kebab?
And the answer is that it is
both of these.

And now you try to find the time
which would see you finish
these reflections about
where you've been
and what it meant:
Zainab by the computer
in quiet contemplation
considering her life
in novel form. 2 November 2010

On the beach of contemplation

Zainab
lonely on the beach
of contemplation,
the North Sea blows cold
and Holy Island
is not far away.

Zainab
eating fish and chips
on the banks of the Tyne,
returned to England's
northern bosom
who nurtures you
in her arms.

Zainab
blown by the
winds of fate
from here to there
what lies in store
for you
in Blighty now?

Zainab
in a land where
you can think free
but sometimes
the living is not
easy, what will
you do to
earn your keep?

Zainab
have faith
it will all work out,
and you will find
that things will
come to you
just when you
need them.

Zainab,
there are no accidents,
coincidences are not chance,
See the silver lining
in all things, trust,
and know that good things
will be coming your way. 7 December, 2010

Put it in your scrapbook

Zainab
looking at a flower
and wondering
why it came to be?
Take a picture
with your camera,
put it in your scrapbook
and see if it's there tomorrow.

Zainab
standing by a stream
and thinking
where is it flowing to?
Take a picture
with your camera
put it in your scrapbook
and see if it means anything later.

Zainab
walking down a street
and thinking
where is it going to?
Take a picture
with your camera
put it in your scrapbook
and see if it changes your view.

Zainab
recording the world around her
and asking
why is it like this?
Take a picture
with your camera
and put it in your scrapbook
and see if tomorrow it makes sense. 9 December 2010

Tears falling

Zainab,
tears falling,
cascading like waterfalls
down the gentle inclines
of your visage,
pooling in drops
upon the table,
where they reflect
into the depths
of your soul.

8 December, 2010

Journey to the promised land

Angel-on-the-run,
from one writer to another,
here's to keeping fluid
and every day
let's put pen to paper,
fingers to keyboard
keeping the thoughts flowing,
always finding inspiration
in constant contact with our muse.

Always seeking new experience
enriching our minds with creative vision,
finding our way through the forest
til our path brings us to open vistas
on our journey to the promised land.

Don't let the obstacles on the way
bring you down or make you weary,
Just rest awhile by the gurgling steam
and you'll feel refreshed and full of spring.
Take a staff to support your footsteps
and to ward off dangerous beasties,
we'll make a camp fire each night
and huddle up to keep each other warm.

There will be the nay sayers who'll doubt you:
disregard their downbeat counsel,
listen instead to the dreams that whisper
in your ear as you fall asleep at night.
Keep that belief burning bright within you
and you'll find you march oh so sprightly
to a different drumbeat pounding
in rhythm with you heart.

6 February 2011