I wrote a short poem few weeks ago and I was proud of myself! Sent it to a friend to review and comment, the reply confused me. "are you OK? Go for a walk, do something with friends".. I said I am absolutely fine, you got it all wrong, its just a poem! I started reading what I wrote over the years, and it is all dark! So I decided to write something cheerful, happy, funny, sort of how I think of myself (I am truly humble).. So I let my soul free, my pen free, my words free, and I wrote this:
Why so dark
I wore my dark coat in the morning
Put a smile, started my everyday's race
In the evening I looked at my reflection
I was wearing my coat on my face
..
..
Did I write this? Am I this dark?
nothing fun or childish to celebrate
No joy worthy of a remark
Or warm loving moments to write about
I always write about tears and darkness,
Because everything is incomplete without sadness
From birth we start to mourn our deaths
We enjoy life, but like to talk about loss
....
I wonder, is black as dark as we think it is
Or what else could be darker
White, maybe, when it is a shroud covering a loved one
Red, sometimes, when it is blood from a rose or a gun
Or memories, where the end is the same as they start
With hugs, tears and kisses that won't last
Many things are as dark as black,
or even darker
But I ask myself, again, why?
Why do I need to look for darkness
My words sink low,
even when my spirit is high
Why my tears are plenty in my writings,
and how rare is my laughter
....
...
...
So,
I gathered all my memories,
as I like them to be
Organised, in order of not time,
But me
I saw my whole life
Full of joy, happiness and misery
Like all people
Simple, straightforward, no mystery
So why only write about despair, anguish and grief?
Because it's the same as happiness, nothing lasts
And memories always brief.
I am rarely sad or angry, I am content, most of the time
But to get the words to flow, and poems to rhyme
To make my words worthy to read
I have to make the white pages bleed
I can only share my tears, my deep thoughts
My bleak memories, and my dark coats..
Ahmad Baker
