Impersonation

/ Sameera

I impersonate my shadow under my breath
sneaking into her black arms
I whisper my poems as the rain falls violently
shaking the roots of the tree
that stands tall in the veranda.

If the appearance is the character of strength,
I might be the weakest force alive tonight
but I breathe lightly
as if the air is my substitute for longing
as if in the moment of inhalation I will choke on you.

My shadow is a feather, fallen from the bird
who soared the highest
broke the sky into millions of clouds
only to lose a beautiful part of her.
I impersonate my shadow
making whispers that sound like words
but resembles sighs.
Outside the rain has fallen and the potholes are no longer alone,
filled to the brim with crystals of dirt
polythene and stone.
I wish to be the void like that,
so that when the rain falls
I become full
and violence can no longer look like a war.

I am calling for the peace as I rage a battle with my own mind,
I scroll through flowers and pictures and gallery and videos and chat boxes
and so many and that never turned into a full stop.

I breathe if I can,
if I am allowed to before I actually die.

My shadow is my skin now,
I exist without the bones
so that no one can break me,
I crumbled it making a black olive.
Outside the tree stand tall
while I am the weakest force.

I impersonate my shadow and become imperishable,
feathers mark my skin with existence
only now that I instead of breathing write poems
as if the only moment I am alive
is when I am in pain
wondering about the grief of the shadow.

So who am I?
a feather fallen from the highest sky
only to become a dust on the lowest earth.

©Sameera Mansuri 2020.

Thank you for reading my words and dropping comments, I will reply to everything as soon as I am able to rest.🌻

8 thoughts on “Impersonation”

  2. Many a time, I have found my long-lost and long-buried emotions in your voice, for which I am thankful to you. My broken words would fail to compliment your gut-wrenching and honest writing! Goodness, I have a thin-sheet like idea about how it feels to peel off your emotions into words and then present them in front of the damned world, but Sameera, you do it exceptionally well! You do it the way it should be done!

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    • Do we have any other option besides this?
      I have been reading this comment and trying to find the accurate words to describe the way I felt but I will fail because your kindness is beyond my imagination. You made me feel better. All I want you to know is that I am grateful for your existence Aaeedah. I truly am. You will be in my prayers always.

      Thank you so much!💙

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    • Assalamualaikum. Just like your name I am muntazir to some hidayat from Allah.
      Life is such we often go hopeless but we find hope in those times too. I am confused about the purpose but I have come to terms with it.

      May Allah ta’ala keep all of us in His guidance.

      Jazak’allah.💙

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