TATI EL
MALLAH
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A PRESENT
Give me something personal he said,
I smiled sadly to myself,
Because for sixteen years he has had me,
Sixteen years, I have lain in the shelter
Of his love and affection,
And if my voice lacks the same warm
Inflection as his,
It is the way life taught me to be.
When young, younger than nine.
I gave love to everyone - and reached out,
For the same warmth.
As a new lamb, on thin legs, gambals in the sun
But where I stepped there were shadows,
And my hands grew cold, Still I tried
Until one day - when young, I grew old,
And no longer looked for the sun -
But ran rather to the shadows,
And walked with the rain, in the meadows -
I grew as the poplar tree, with tall, cold
Shimmering tresses -
Yet even poplar trees give love and shelter to the birds.
Give me something personal she said,
And all at once
There were twenty-one years
Twenty one years she had lost me
Twenty one years, I had slept-walked
Dreaming of her tenderness and care
And if my voice has the same ache
And longing as hers
It is the way she taught me to be.
In a time closer than it seems
I kept pain in solitude - and shut out
Her same stresses
As an aged ram, with thick horns, anchored to the sun
Now where I step there are shadows
And my hands are cold, Now I try
This day - when old, to grow young
And look further down the path
Far past this horned shadow
And walk with the rays, in her meadow
I grow as the date palm, with tall, warm
Shimmering tresses -
As even palms give love and shelter to the birds
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