Poems that Inspire!

~ Nuraine Sadaf ~ Leave a comment

Just felt like sharing this remarkably beautiful piece of poetry written by Maya Angelou:

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

BY MAYA ANGELOU

Still I Rise” from And Still I Rise: A Book of Poems.
Copyright © 1978 by Maya Angelou.
Published by Penguin Random House

Sometimes, Just Drift Along

~ Nuraine Sadaf ~ Leave a comment

Jane handed me a piece of paper and said, “These just came in! I printed them out for you, can you please fetch these from the shelves?”

“Sure!” I replied and went hunting for The Four Winds, The Last Thing He Told Me, and The Paper Palace from the new books section.

When you are working at the library, you need to be quick and always on your feet. Working at a library has been a childhood dream for me, a dream job! Imagine being surrounded by books all the time, can a job get better than this? I was overwhelmed with joy when they told me I was selected for the position of Circulation Assistant/Shelver. It’s been three weeks now and it’s also the last day of my training. Most importantly it’s payday and I am eagerly waiting to be paid. After all, money isn’t insignificant.

Continue reading “Sometimes, Just Drift Along” →

What are your thoughts on open-ended stories?

~ Nuraine Sadaf ~ Leave a comment

Dear reader, today I have a controversial topic to talk about – open ended novels. There was a time when I much appreciated open-ended stories. The mysterious cliffhangers would leave me wondering, “Oh what would have happened if he had chosen the easy path?” Or “Oh is she going to remain mysterious without revealing her true identity?” Or “Will she continue packing lunch for him as a mysterious stranger without meeting him?”

Continue reading “What are your thoughts on open-ended stories?” →

Where you at?

~ Nuraine Sadaf ~ Leave a comment

I cannot sleep,
Is it my troubled mind, that is keeping me awake all night?
Or is it the moonlight from my window?
I try long and hard –
To go back to a peaceful world of dreams,
Where the night is dark and the sleep is deep.
But lately I’ve been up all night!
Tossing and turning,
Taking deep breaths,
Reading books,
Listening to meditative music to put me back to sleep…
Why isn’t anything helping?
What is it that I’ve been thinking?
Am I anxious or just excited?
What am I waiting for,
Or rather who am I waiting for?
No, stop it!
Stop thinking.
I need my sleep.
Let’s try going back to sleep.
Night night!

Through My Window

~ Nuraine Sadaf ~ Leave a comment

A cloudy evening, light drizzle. At a distance, a man in a green rain jacket is out for a walk with his dog. Patiently, he follows and watches his enthusiastic dog sniff the ground, play in the wetness of the green grass, and run around.

The view outside my window is beautiful, spectacular. I’m thankful to cameras that I can capture this moment in a photograph. Which I am sure I will not find interesting when I randomly find it after a few days.

Things are beautiful when they happen in that moment. Isn’t it? Like right now the fairy lights by my window are on, I’m with my book and a pen looking outside and trying my best to capture this precious scene in words and photos.

Happiness is not in big achievements but in easily and abundantly available joyous moments that are special just for you.

Summer Sunday

~ Nuraine Sadaf ~ Leave a comment

On a bright sunny afternoon,
What would you like to do when you’re by yourself?
Lather on some SPF and take a walk down the street?
Go to a cafe and sit outside with an iced lemonade?
Chill on your patio with a book and wave to neighbors passing-by?
Put on your head gear and go cycling?
Take your kids to the park and buy them ice cream?
Plan a lunch outing with friends and spend the entire afternoon catching up on silly stories?
Go shopping for floral summer dresses?
If you’re by the beach, then nothing can be better than chilling at some shack with a cold Long Island Tea watching the calming ocean waves and enjoying the ocean breeze!
Or would you pull the curtains down and enjoy a movie on Netflix with a pizza on your side?
Whatever you wish to do, have fun and have a great weekend!
Happy Sunday, happy summer days!

PS: I’m loving this weather, I like walking and listening to music while admiring the blue skies and green pastures. 🙂
I was listening to this song while walking today, hope you’ll enjoy it too.