thesilkroadtoday
Poems and photos by Sihem Cherif
The tiny fish
Upon a glowing shore
where the sea swims in glow
where the stars made a bow
while I wanted to go far
Find in the deep one answer and maybe more
And then, a tiny brown fish
Came vehemently by my side
Wriggled left, wriggled right
Giving a deaf ear to the rough tide
The more I dived, the more it came near
Danced around my feet,
Fumbled for my hands
Maybe it wanted to eat
Perhaps it looked for friends
Maybe it wanted to know
what incited my sorrow
what ignited my fear
May it want to share
My ills sprinkled over there?
Never have I seen such empathy
A tiny sea creature
knocking at the ribs of my broken heart
with each dance a song ,
For each song ,a healing melody
My dear tiny fish, I had a small wish
whenever to the depth I am bound
Do come and look for the woman
drown in the hollow of her sound
Today, though soaked in despair
My tiny little fish
You did shower me with care
@ sihem cherif
18/8/2024******************************************************************
Do not pull a face
Do not pull a face
When grace is ahead
Dance in glee
Stretch a hand instead
And wait for the cruise
Wait for the sailor
Casting a smile to the sky
Begging it not to bruise
The voyage may go safe and slow
When hearts with love glow
From each tear of despair
Water a rose lost somewhere
When the rose gets red
And its petals are richly fed
It shall tell the story
Of a sad poet opting for peace to wed
All that glum and that rock
Basking in her heart
Feeling the pain of loss
when the birds could not make it
to their bed
@ sihem cherif
The Melody of Dusk
When Dusk breaks
And twilight starts to dance
I lift my quill and dip
It deeply into a profound trance
I just want to hold in a palm
Some memories of those who departed
But stayed in my heart though they no longer could make it home
I sigh and try to grasp
Some light from above
The way an injury sailor
Break the fast with a rotten fish
Never blame your doom
Never blame the doom
Even if you are hammered by the heat
And you reckon that
it is hard to peregrinate
Fuel some streyngth to your weary feet
And never blame your doom
for that blurry fate
Even if your tree could never
provide shade
when you desperately needed a rest
Tell yourself your abode
shall not fade
And with the resolution,
you build your nest
when the clouds
are reluctant to cry
And the fields yearend
for that gulp
Remember that rivers
could make their way
And willingly offer their help
@ sihem cherif
God knows
God will set his gate of mercy
God knows my injuries
My loss
The hills
The mountains that have no door
God knows I want to sail
Touch the wing of a lost bird
I want to smear redemption
And forget what was said
God knows I am a frail soul
I have never sharpened a blade
Or waged in front of my destiny
A bloody sword
God knows
I shall send God A silent letter
Maybe when dawn comes early
The injured pigeon feels better
God knows the hurdles that did not badge
The shore that feared the wave
The albatross that kept swirling into a rage
because it lost the flock
And the rotten little boat
That little boat greeting my dreams
Betrayed by a greedy sailor
Hammered by the sun
God knows that along my voyage
None of the oars
Refused to obey my hands
But something over there
Amidst of the roaming clouds
The rainbow changed its colours
And kept saying
what is done is done
@ sihem cherif Daourchott 11 9 2024
