Tree

"this poem is not about what is written, but what is not written. . . " Firmly rooted, I stand in this desert of nothingness Facing your wrath and warmth with equal willingness Life around me moves ahead, passes me by Scorpions, birds and occasionally a butterfly You gave me all the power to bear fruit, nurture and shade Yet my entire life passes standing stoically in one place The wind nudges me, taunts me as it blows I still stand there unmoved, head shamefully bowed The leaves that greened with me too flew away Eloped with the breeze in autumn, left me betrayed The fruits that I had worked hard to bear The flowers that graced my wavy hair With time, these too were snatched away from me, No reason why I still stand barren and empty. My bark reverberates with the melancholy of my soul Waiting for lightning to wield its shining sword. Afroze Ali Contest name: 'The unwritten' 5th July 2011