FREE VERSE A REFLECTION OF UNREQUITED ADMIRATION Let us acknowledge the remarkable nature of your creation,Which embodies grace and beauty.Although my presence may not resonate within your heart,I find solace in the contemplation of you. Were I to be the very ground upon which you tread,I would relish the opportunity to experience the sensationOf your presence; it would be a privilege to feelThe joy that remains beyond my reach. If I had the fortune of being the combThat gently separates your hair,I would have the pleasure of knowingThe softness and fragrance that accompanies it. Should I be the lipstick gracing your lips,I would experience the bliss held dear by lovers.The intensity of my affection would be overwhelming,As I succumbed to an ecstasy marked by profound longing. To witness the brilliance emanating from your eyesWould be akin to a child nestled against its mother.I would yearn to feel the warmth of your embraceAnd be serenaded by the gentle melodies of your heartbeat. If I were the pillow supporting your thoughts,I would aspire to participate in your dreams of happiness.I would subtly convey hints of my presence,Hoping that you might acknowledge my existence. I apologize for indulging in these reveries; I am merely an idealist.Should I awaken from this dream, I would wish to fade into obscurity.In your world, I perceive myself as a mere stone,Unnoticed as you pass by. ©Habib Dabajeh AS I WEEP Now that you have vacated my heart,A new dawn unfurls like the darkest of nights,Its chill creeps into the marrow of my bones.I find myself pondering aloneBeneath this gnarled, dying tree,The very place where we swore—With fervent whispers—to never part.In that fleeting moment when our lips last met,The world faded away, and now I can’t stop the tearsFrom streaming down my cheeks. As my body trembles from the weight of sorrow,Tears cascading like a silent waterfall,A gentle breeze stirs around me,Carrying with it the intoxicating scentsFrom a nearby rose garden.Excitement flares within me,Igniting hope anew,And I leap up, wiping away the burning tears,Believing, for a heartbeat,That you might be walking back to me with an apology. ©Habib Dabajeh BLISSFUL STATE Nestled beside the crackling fireplace,I find myself enveloped in your warmth,My heart resting against your chest as if seeking refuge.You pull me closer, wrapping your arms around me,And in that moment, I long for time to stand still,Wishing that this enchanting night could stretch on indefinitely. There’s a childlike tremor in me,A delicate vulnerability as I swoon against you,Fearing the inevitable moment when I must release my grip.The softness of your breasts presses gently into me,Each contour of your body is a soothing balm to my soul. The intoxicating blend of your warmth and the sweet,Familiar scents that surround youSeem to fan the flames of my longing heart,Each breath I take is infused with sensationsBoth thrilling and tender. In this blissful state, enveloped by pure ecstasy,Bittersweet tears find their way to my eyes,Quietly spilling over as a poignant sadness washes over me.I am acutely aware that dawn will break all too soon,Shattering this perfect momentAnd ushering in a world that demands our separation. ©H. Dabajeh DRIVEN FROM YOUR HEART As I lay there,Lost in a fog of confusion and surrounded by chaos,I couldn’t help but feel frightened and distraught.Tears streamed down my faceAs I yearned to hold you close again.Memories flooded my mind,Bringing me back to the rose gardenWhere we used to play in the rain. I can still feel the sweetness of your kissesMingling with the raindrops,And I remember how you would tease me playfully,Only to burst into laughter that echoed joyfully.You captivated me with your beauty,And I was humbled by the love you shared so freely.I existed solely for your warmth and those gentle kisses. Your radiant smile, your angelic features,And even your witty, childlike frowns are etched in my heart.But with those sweet memoriesCame the sharp pang of loneliness,A reminder of your absence that stings deeply.Oh, fairest of all maidens,My world feels incomplete without you.My heart yearns to sing your praises endlessly. Once, I was your cherished falcon,But I felt the cruelty of losing my wingsWhen you drove me awayFrom the nest of your heart,Urging me to find my own way to soar.I can only hope you understandJust how much you mean to meAnd the void your departure has left in my soul. ©Habib Dabajeh LAST NIGHT I approached with soft, careful steps,Eager to behold your presence.As I gazed upon you,An overwhelming sense of beautyAnd tranquility enveloped you,Prompting a deep sense of reverence within me.You lay there, deeply immersed in your dreams,And I 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 melodyIn the stillness of the room. In my attempt to convey the depth of my emotionsAnd to capture the essence of your appearance,I found myself at a loss for words;They seemed to vanish into thin air.In that moment of longing,I leaned in and pressed a tender kiss upon your cheek,Accompanied by a whimsical wishThat felt both absurd and essential.As I closed my eyes, I allowed myself to drift,Yearning to step into the enchanting world of your dreams. ©Habib Dabajeh 2/10 LEAFLESS TREE A gnarled, leafless tree standsAmid a vibrant landscape,Its twisted branches reaching outLike fragile arms yearning for one final embrace.Beneath the azure sky,The tree sways gently in the cool breeze,Attempting one last dance despite its frailty and age.The bark, worn and weathered by countless seasons,Tells a story of resilience,Yet its strength has long since diminished. Around it, a chorus of birds gathers,Their melodious calls rang through the airAs they pay tribute to an old companion,Each note is infused with memory and nostalgia.Their vibrant plumage contrasts sharplyWith the tree’s stark silhouette,Creating a poignant atmosphere of reverence. As the sun begins to set,Casting golden hues across the landscape,A plaintive wind sweeps in,Rustling through the remaining branchesAs if trying to whisper words of comfort.Yet, despite its gentle caress,The breeze brings little solace,Leaving only the melancholic echo of what once was. ©Habib Dabajeh PENSIVE MOOD I stepped out into the desolate twilight,My footsteps echoed in the solitude of the evening.It felt as though all hope had slipped through my fingers,Leaving a vacant space where light once thrived.The cold wind brushed against my skin,Sending shivers down my spine,While the ground was littered with damp,Withered leaves that crunched softly beneath my feet.From the depths of a distant forest,A solitary bird weeps mournfully for the lost warmth of spring,Its delicate notes rise and fall like a distant memory.Yet, the wind howled around me,Its fierce breath drowned out the bird’s lament,Transforming into a tempest that seemed to rage at the world itself. Torn by confusion and sorrow,Tears began to escape the corners of my eyes,Only to merge with the chill of the air.A cacophony of annoying crows cawed harshly from their perch,Their shrieks sliced through the quietude like a knife.Darkness enveloped me;There was no ray of light to ease the heaviness of my heart.Despair seeped into the very marrow of my being,Invading my spirit like a creeping fog.The sense of my frailty grew ever more apparent,As if the weight of the years was pushing me toward the Ground.Youth, once a vibrant dream,Now felt like a distant echo,Fading away into the shadows of the past. ©Habib Dabajeh SYMMETRY When God heard my prayer for a companion,He consulted His blueprints of spring and summer.He used rose petals to shape my lover’s lips,And from soft lilies, He formed her cheeks. The light He ordained to greet the day,And the softer light to bless the night;That mixture of light He gave her radiant face. Through a sunlit sky, He sends the rainsAnd causes a sweet rainbow to appear.He took those beautiful colors, and mixed them,He painted the brilliance of her eyes. He gathered feathers from every angel,Mingled them with fine silk,And adding jasmine, He crafted her hair. Into her ears, He softly whisperedThe songs of morning birds,The dialogue of night crickets,And she came to understand the language of nature. From rustling trees to tender songbirds,And Cherubim glorifying with the sweetest voices;That mixture of sounds He gave to her. He then placed her in a lovely rose gardenSo she may be among her kind.He waited, and He is most patient,Until she absorbed the scent of every rose. And what a rose she turned out to be!She smiles, and I abandon all beliefsAnd swear upon her peerless grace. She has silenced my poetic tongueAnd caused my verses to falter.She transformed a lover into a madmanWho babbles words without meaning. I gaze upon my love nowAnd relinquish all creeds and beliefs.All my hopes and dreams rest upon her lips. ©Habib Dabajeh 8/03 WINTRY NIGHT On a bitterly cold and rain-soaked winter night,As the chill seeped through the walls,Each drop of rain fell like a relentless reminder of my despair;I sought refuge beneath my warm blanket,Nestled against my tear-stained pillow,Damp with the weight of sorrow.In the silence, hope flickered like a candle in the wind,Though I knew deep down that all hope seemed to have fled.I lay there, trapped in my yearning, wishing fervently,Longing to finally close my weary, heavy eyelids,To drift away into a brief, peaceful slumber,And wander through a blissful dream,And to envision what may never come to pass. ©Habib Dabajeh