THE WOMAN BEYOND SPRING
Beyond this heady Nectar fog, draped in muslin Stands she, with eyes Black as charcoal, soft And burning their gaze; The hummingbirds, the Swallows, all praise her With their springtime Song – about their Beautiful golden cages They flutter, restless, As she raises them to Her face. Adorn her delicate, calloused hands Blooms of daisies, Lavenders and roses; Her sweet perfume Hangs in the still, Stagnant air, only to Blow away as she stirs The obedient wind. Slowly, she vanishes As the springtime Mist thickens – As the sunflower Beams of daylight Blind one and all In a rapture of joy, As the cerulean haze of The morning sky Engulfs the world In honey-like ecstasy, She disappears, Never to be seen again.– Zoya Ilahi Jeelan (9J)