FREE VERSE

I FOUND MYSELF

I was born into a world devoid of ambitions and skills.
My youth passed with little laughter or joy.
Schooling taught me nothing but ancient, forgotten history.
I paved the path to college and fell fast asleep.
I worked hard and held good jobs,
Yet my money seemed to disappear.
I set out to find love and romance,
And found only heartache and despair.
When I read some verses, I knew myself.
Then I wrote some verse, and I found myself.

©Habib Dabajeh

LEAD ME BACK TO YOU

When the day ends,
And I’m not in your presence,
I go to bed hungry,
So I can dream all night and hunger for you.

My world is a paradox,
A dazzling array of rainbows,
All created from your beautiful smile,
And they all lead me back to you.

The full moon is bathing the rose garden,
The nightingale’s song piercing the night,
And the breeze moves softly through the trees;
But none can equal the very essence of you.

Your blushing cheeks like two red roses,
Your perfumed hair lingers faintly in the air,
Leaving me more restless than before,
And my body badly aches to embrace you.

The passing seconds without your touch,
Like rowing a canoe through an ocean.
No matter how fast I paddle, there is no shore,
But still I paddle, crying out to you.

Then the thought of your smile enters my mind,
Like sunshine breaking through the clouds.
I let its warmth spread through my being,
And I feel a flicker of hope igniting from you.

The soft whispers of your breath,
I imagine your lips caressing my ears,
Counting the seconds until we meet again,
So I can bask in the presence of you.

Your voice becomes the lullaby,
Far sweeter than the nightingale,
That lulls me into a restless sleep,
And I drift away and dream of you.

And as the wind begins to howl
Mirroring the turmoil within my heart,
I imagined the wind playing in your hair
Hoping it might send me the scent of you.

The feel of your kiss stirs my heart
And creates a river in my eyes,
And with each drop, I call your name,
And send a kiss back to you.

The sweet taste of your last kiss
Is a cruel reminder of what I’m missing.
I try to recapture that blissful moment,
To hold it forever, and savor the taste of you.

Through every path, darkness covers me,
And in the dark, your memory is my candle-
Burning, never melting, guiding every step,
All roads, though winding, lead me back to you.

So I close my eyes one more time,
And yearn endlessly through the night.
Hoping and praying the stars will align,
To bridge the gap that separates me from you.

©Habib Dabajeh

SWEET MEMORIES

The memories are beginning to melt away
With time’s cruel persistence.
I trace the outline of your face in my mind,
Desperately trying to hold onto every detail-
The gentle curve of your smile,
The way your eyes crinkled when you laughed.
These fragments of you slip through
My fingers like grains of sand,
Each day takes with it another precious detail
I once swore I’d never forget.
The world continues its relentless spin,
While I remain frozen in this moment of loss,
Clutching at shadows of what used to be.
The sun rises and sets,
Marking days I must endure without your presence,
Each sunset is a reminder of how far I’ve drifted
From the warmth of your embrace.
In the quiet hours between midnight and dawn,
I find myself reaching across empty sheets,
Searching for a hand that’s no longer there to hold.

©Habib Dabajeh

TEARS FALL

I

As dawn’s gentle light creeps in,
You inhabit my thoughts like a haunting melody.
A deep yearning stirs within me,
Compelling me to craft the perfect verse,
A soothing balm for my frantic heart
And a salve for the heavy burden of your absence
That weighs upon my mind.
With a trembling hand,
I begin to pen a love poem
Upon the delicate leaves of this solitary tree.

II

I dared to dream that perhaps,
By some unfathomable miracle,
A gust of wind would sweep through,
Performing a wild dance among the branches.
It would read my heartfelt words
And carry them straight to your heart.
Yet, the wind remained still,
Leaving me alone with only
The distant laughter of crows,
Echoing my despair.

III

Nearby, a turtle dove settled with grace,
Offering a soft, soothing song
In an attempt to comfort my aching soul.
But my heart was too entrenched in sorrow,
Unwilling to be swayed by her gentle cooing.
In her delicate presence,
She presented a single feather.
I took it and dipped into my bleeding heart,
Conjuring another love poem
That sought to encapsulate my feelings.

IV

With fervor and bleary eyes,
I inscribed verses of love
Upon yellow rose petals,
Each petal a fragment of my devotion,
Before placing them tenderly into her beak.
I prayed with all my might
That she would find her way to you,
Reminiscent of Noah and the olive branch,
Hopelessly believing it would find you;
But I wasn’t as fortunate as Noah.

V

I find myself weeping upon this desolate shore,
Entranced by the relentless crashing of waves.
I poured my thoughts into the air,
Contemplating the perfect words
I wished to impart to you.
With a trembling finger,
I traced into the warm sand the simple
Yet profound plea, ‘I need you.’
But the waves, the relentless eradicators,
Came crashing in, taunting my aching heart.

VI

As my silent tears fall,
The wind wails around me,
Twisting like a banshee through the air.
Amidst my desolation, a nightingale alighted nearby,
Gazing with a piercing gaze and cried:
“Weep on, sad and lonely Lover!
There is no road back from lost love.
Hope abandons all the broken-hearted!”
Her haunting words echoed in my soul,
A reminder of the painful truth that enveloped me.

©Habib Dabajeh

SEASONS

The vibrant hues of spring
Dance in her captivating eyes,
Reflecting the fresh greens
And delicate blossoms of the season.

The sweet fragrance of summer
Lingers in her flowing hair,
Reminiscent of sun-kissed days
Filled with blooming flowers and laughter.

Her cheeks, a soft blush reminiscent
Of the fiery reds
And oranges of autumn leaves,
Radiate warmth and vitality.

Yet, beneath this beautiful exterior,
Her icy heart remains untouched,
Piercing the air around her
Like the biting chill of winter’s breath,

A thorny rose, bright and lovely,
Who tempts all the curious eyes,
Only to leave those who seek her warmth
In a state of longing and despair.

©Habib Dabajeh

LAST NIGHT

Last night, under your love spell,
I approached with soft, careful steps,
Eager to behold your presence.
As I gazed upon you,
An overwhelming sense of beauty
And tranquility enveloped you,
Prompting a deep sense of reverence within me.

You lay there, deeply immersed in your dreams,
And I briefly hesitated,
Reluctant to disturb your peaceful slumber.
Gently, I lowered my head to rest upon your chest,
Captivated by the rhythmic rise and fall of your breath,
Which resonated like a soothing melody
In the stillness of the room.

In my attempt to convey the depth of my emotions
And to capture the essence of your appearance,
I found myself at a loss for words;
In that moment of longing,
I leaned in and pressed a tender kiss upon your cheek,
Accompanied by a whimsical wish
That felt both absurd and essential.

I gazed sleepy eyed at the fire,
The wind eerily howling out the window,
Followed by a choir of crickets.
As I closed my eyes,
I allowed myself to drift,
Yearning to step into the enchanting world
Of your illicit dreams.

Habib Dabajeh 2/10