A Talismanic Incantation

A Talismanic Incantation By Faleeha Hassan Translated by Mahmoud Abbas Masoud I gathered the pores of my being And came to perfume them with your own fragrance Only to discover that you are an oleander -- a rosebay While in the memory of unease and apprehension I trace some features that resemble no one but you An image has its own dimensions And, when hopelessness assails me, I have roads That never cease to pull and lead me toward you And while in the nook of anxiety I fancy a preordained timing For events that never materialize The image draws near And I talk to it About the tons of heavy separation That oppress the seasons of my life I have recited you as rain Yet your lightning never came near me Alienation gathered thick Tears heaved with gushing flow Who will tell you that My silence is like the mouth of a volcano I am boundless Yet fettered only by my own memory And you are And will always be The ever-never closest to me