THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.
As I glance upon your pale face,
Whilst you lay enclosed in a box; your eternal personal space,
I refuse to believe what I see,
I cannot accept reality,
For I still remember the first time I saw you;
You were crying, so full of life.
Dear daughter,
You were my bundle of joy...
You grew up to be intelligent, beautiful and coy,
But you grew up way too fast...
Wherever you went, you attracted the crowd,
Of you, dear daughter, I was so proud...
On that fateful day,
As I packed food for your journey
And ordered you around,
When you were, for your first flight bound,
Little did I know,
That down to you, one day, heads would bow...
When you were in a rush,
Reassuring me with a playful hush,
Little did I know, dear daughter,
That I would never hear again
Your lovely voice, your lively laughter...
As I wished you luck and brushed your hair,
And told you once again, to take care,
You smiled, nodded and kissed my cheek,
Little did I know then,
That it was the last time
That you performed that mime...
As you packed your bags
and left for the airport
You looked so pretty, so smart.
Little did I know then,
That, of history, you would become a part...
As I awaited your homecoming,
I grew restless and agitated,
For a mother's instinct told me
That doom was impending...
The news of the hijack
Struck me like a thunderbolt!
The agony, the despair, the restlessness,
Nothing can compare to the helplessness
That weighed down my heart, my very soul,
As I prayed for your safety,
Pleading with every single Deity...
As I look upon your lifeless form,
Dear daughter,
I can only curse the blessed bullets;
They took your life, but spared many others,
In the process, making you immortal...
Dear daughter,
Oh how I wish I didn't have to bid you farewell!
I would much rather await your homecoming,
Even if it meant waiting forever...