Tuesday, September 28, 2010

How Lovers Long to Die


Once, when I was exploring the ruins of an ancient palace,
I sat beneath the shade of a date tree
To eat the meal I had packed.

Soon after I had finished, as I sat enjoying the breeze
A doe approached me, her muzzle gray
and her movements stiff with age.

Fearing I would frighten her, I tried not to move.
In wonder I watched as she sniffed at my hand,
Then stumbled, sank to her knees, and gently laid her head in my lap.

One black eye met mine,
Then light within it faded,
And she was dead.

This is how lovers long to die,
At the end of many fine years,
Their faces caressed by the hands of Love as the light fades from their eyes.

Najat says, You do not need to wait
until the hour of your death
To rest your head in the lap of your Beloved.

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