Writer
Haunted castle.
Restless ocean.
Dreary thunderous night.
Dusty curtains.
Lost footsteps.
Creaky wooden floors.
Dirty hingeless doors.
Rusty leaking taps.
Sleepy rabid bats.
Withered old trees.
A rustle on dried leaves.
A shadow with the breeze.
A lacy low-cut red gown.
A gasp.
A silent forgotten scream.
It was a chilly winter night when I saw her.
Haute or mysterious?
A black floppy wide brim hat covered her eyes.
Her red lips left behind a trail of smoke,
as she walked past me
with the echoes of her high heels
resonating in the dark alley.
She smiled in the mirror
while braiding her hair
with fair daisies.
She pinned them tightly
then draped on her
Rosy-pink saree like in 1980s.
Her face gleamed with joy
The kohl in her doe-eyes
Was a reason to many broken-hearted cries.
The pink lily talcum perfumed her cheeks
I look at her fondly
as Amma walks past me
like a summer breeze.
Just one look,
Was all it took..
To seize my attention
To get my heart racing.
The dazzling lights
Made me dreamy,
Taking me back in time
To a world of royalty.
Where the time passed but slow..
All there was to admire
Were magnificent tapestries
Order of aristocracy
Glamour of shiny gems
& sumptuous crystal chandeliers.
There is something
about romanticising
In old forgotten cities
Just two souls
Standing atop broken-down towers
Like conquerors.
She gathered all of her courage
and melted in his arms.
The rhythmic beats of his heart
Were the only melody of her life.
He stood long and alone,
With feet buried in the soft, warm sand.
He looked vacantly ahead at the ocean
Watching the waves rise angrily
Thrashing into each other
falling down,
then flowing away calmly into the ocean again.
He stood long and alone,
Till the sun began to set
turning the sky into red.
He buried his hands into his pockets
and continued staring ahead.
A pile of wood
burnt to the ground.
A fume of smoke
rises from its ash.
Winding slowly,
fading away.
A gust of wind
Blows on the heap of cinder.
It takes to the air
Breezing through the forest
In which it once lived.
In her mansion of dreams
Her garden was filled with
– daisies and daffodils.
She read stories
About palaces and fairies.
Dressed in pink and gold
She wore ribbons and shimmery were her soles.
Lying on lush green meadows
She sang sweet songs to the blue skies.
She danced with fireflies
and yearned for angel wings.
In her little world of glee
There was no room for fear or misery.
“the cold, harsh winter withered me away.
It left me with nothing
but barrenness.
You saw through my emptiness..
You stood there for hours looking at my
crooked arms and shriveled body.
Though I had nothing upon me,
you always looked at me with a smile and exclaimed,
“So beautiful!”
and now the sun shines down upon me
making me warm
slowly bringing me back to life.
and now just for you my dear,
I will gather all my fallen leaves
and bloom like I’ve never before.
my leaves will dance when you move.
my blushing blossoms will paint rosiness on your cheeks.
the sweet fragrance from my wild flowers
will bury itself in your soft black curls.
my breeze will touch ever so lightly,
and kiss your face.
then I will watch you,
like you always did..
I will watch you, smiling at me again.”
Nuraine Sadaf 