Down every doorstep
Children know but to leap;
A time when no school exists
No man, albeit distinguished, fits.
And women now bring up the offspring
Yet amongst the crowd a genius must one day spring;
Women, men and even animals
Have inadvertently left the vestiges.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Ring
At midnight, I drop the ring I used to wear;
Spinning a dozen times on the floor
Then, complete silence command here;
I approach it very closely to pore
On what makes me drop it;
Alas, I can see it broken once the room is lit.
No wonder, I had a nightmare;
Unawares, I fluttered my fingers
To open the nearby window for the night air;
I that instant heard the singers,
Celebrating the beloved's broken ring;
Only then did I know the nightmares would stop lingering.
Spinning a dozen times on the floor
Then, complete silence command here;
I approach it very closely to pore
On what makes me drop it;
Alas, I can see it broken once the room is lit.
No wonder, I had a nightmare;
Unawares, I fluttered my fingers
To open the nearby window for the night air;
I that instant heard the singers,
Celebrating the beloved's broken ring;
Only then did I know the nightmares would stop lingering.
An Interview with an Owl
Let us carry on the discussion we had the other night;
" No, you are stubborn and I can't bear that," said the owl.
Well, I told you appearances are indispensable
For attaining recognition in the forest surroundings
"I don't agree with you at all, " argued the owl
" for my face looks cheerful and enthralling to my race."
"You can't make sense of what I am telling you
As you are still immature, dear child, " added the owl.
"But I only told you the truth," said I.
"I repeat that your race is not like ours" angrily howled the owl.
As I was moving back home,
The owl turned into a princess.
" Am I right now ?" cried the owl.
"Definitely, " said I in despair.
" No, you are stubborn and I can't bear that," said the owl.
Well, I told you appearances are indispensable
For attaining recognition in the forest surroundings
"I don't agree with you at all, " argued the owl
" for my face looks cheerful and enthralling to my race."
"You can't make sense of what I am telling you
As you are still immature, dear child, " added the owl.
"But I only told you the truth," said I.
"I repeat that your race is not like ours" angrily howled the owl.
As I was moving back home,
The owl turned into a princess.
" Am I right now ?" cried the owl.
"Definitely, " said I in despair.
The Tenacious Climber
Who says the mountain is out of reach?
You must reconsider that speech;
Dozens of rocks and stones themselves roll down
Of their own accord.
The endeavour to wear the crown
Is living proof that the peak is at hand;
All you need is to traverse the land.
You must reconsider that speech;
Dozens of rocks and stones themselves roll down
Of their own accord.
The endeavour to wear the crown
Is living proof that the peak is at hand;
All you need is to traverse the land.
The Writer Who did not Have Three Dirhams to Buy a Newspaper
Becoming a writer nowadays is an extremely challenging task for the majority of people. Some of the latter attribute this challenge to lack of free time, of interest and of readership. Others believe that the position of writer only means a dead-end, tedious job; in other words, good for nothing. However, only when I knew of Mohamed Zafzaf as the Moroccan writer who didn't have even three dirhams to buy a newspaper have I concluded that becoming a writer is not always as difficult as we have always expected. At this point, each one of us should start reconsidering his or her retrospective views about the position of writer.
The purpose behind this article is that it is never a matter of means or that of unjustifiable excuses that will preclude us from attaining this position. On the contrary, simple objects like a pen, cheap novels, etc which have made some ordinary people the greatest celebrities the world over can of course help each one of us make this dream come true one day. Frankly, I am myself still obssessed with the idea this dream is undoubtedly out of reach. But hearing of Mohamed Zafzaf's stumbling obstacle, that of not having even basic things, has totally changed my unreasonable views and set me to contemplate my futute more consciously.
Mohamed Zafzaf, one of the Moroccan literary figures, still makes me hang my head in awe. Despite his unbearable obstacles such as sheer poverty, the Maghriban ignorance, remarkable absence of libraries, he never thought of them every time he put pen to paper. He rather kept reading widely and thus started producing profusely whatever was on his mind. At that time, he rarely or never received any recognition and acclaim for his productivity; but he remained dedicated mainly to his writing. Unlike this amazing author, once we novice writers have one of our artistic works rejected or simply castigated, we begin to feel hopeless and even think of quitting the circle.
In short, not having three dirhams made this man one of the greatest writers ever, whereas having everything at our disposal has not yet resulted in anything except constant complaints, hopeless attempts and maybe leaving the dream unrealised altogether for some. Here and from now on, every one can realise that it will never be a question of countless means which are offered to us day after day like meetings, workshops, holding literary seminars, etc. The one who did not have three dirhams would of course recommend three insightful pieces of advice: constant willingness, total dedication to this path, and everyday patience.
The purpose behind this article is that it is never a matter of means or that of unjustifiable excuses that will preclude us from attaining this position. On the contrary, simple objects like a pen, cheap novels, etc which have made some ordinary people the greatest celebrities the world over can of course help each one of us make this dream come true one day. Frankly, I am myself still obssessed with the idea this dream is undoubtedly out of reach. But hearing of Mohamed Zafzaf's stumbling obstacle, that of not having even basic things, has totally changed my unreasonable views and set me to contemplate my futute more consciously.
Mohamed Zafzaf, one of the Moroccan literary figures, still makes me hang my head in awe. Despite his unbearable obstacles such as sheer poverty, the Maghriban ignorance, remarkable absence of libraries, he never thought of them every time he put pen to paper. He rather kept reading widely and thus started producing profusely whatever was on his mind. At that time, he rarely or never received any recognition and acclaim for his productivity; but he remained dedicated mainly to his writing. Unlike this amazing author, once we novice writers have one of our artistic works rejected or simply castigated, we begin to feel hopeless and even think of quitting the circle.
In short, not having three dirhams made this man one of the greatest writers ever, whereas having everything at our disposal has not yet resulted in anything except constant complaints, hopeless attempts and maybe leaving the dream unrealised altogether for some. Here and from now on, every one can realise that it will never be a question of countless means which are offered to us day after day like meetings, workshops, holding literary seminars, etc. The one who did not have three dirhams would of course recommend three insightful pieces of advice: constant willingness, total dedication to this path, and everyday patience.
A Tear and a Grin
A grin and a tear once sat at a table:
Life set them to lable
Who wears a grin and who does a smile;
Suddenly a grin went enraged
As most people are labelled a tear!
"Far commoner than I! " said the grin
" It is simply because people choose to wear me," replied the tear
Life set them to lable
Who wears a grin and who does a smile;
Suddenly a grin went enraged
As most people are labelled a tear!
"Far commoner than I! " said the grin
" It is simply because people choose to wear me," replied the tear
The Nightfall
Alas, it is bedtime again;
No time and no space to spare;
Some more moments I still wish I would gain:
To the stars above I dare show some care:
I grudingly drag the mattress
On my back I turn dizzily
As my eyes receive the stars' rays
Unawares, I fell into a dire dream
Only to find tear-like drops in my eyes;
I then set out to reminisce about the nightfall.
No time and no space to spare;
Some more moments I still wish I would gain:
To the stars above I dare show some care:
I grudingly drag the mattress
On my back I turn dizzily
As my eyes receive the stars' rays
Unawares, I fell into a dire dream
Only to find tear-like drops in my eyes;
I then set out to reminisce about the nightfall.
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