Discovery of the Unknown... And Known

Thoughts begging to be drafted onto paper...

With each click of the pen,

An idea surfaces

A world of expression waiting to be tapped into

Endless possibilities of discovering who I am

Because isn't that what poetry has taught me?

To discover the implications behind a slight breeze

To explore nature as if I am exploring my heart

To realize my inner secrets through a far-fetched allusion

Of which one must lift thousands of veils

Just to see an inkling of the truth

Ink blotting, smearing, streaking,

Where to go, what to do

Crumpled paper after crumpled paper

Words broken, vicious tears through stanzas

In reality, it's still a blank page

Ask the question again and again: What have I truly discovered?

To not only see the world through a haze of metaphors,

But to view it for what it is

Only then will the blank page show splashes of color

Of birth, reunion, hope, redemption,

Of sacrifice, corruption, darkness, death

Step out of the world of obscure symbols, to write plainly, about me

Words spilling onto paper now,

Less structure, more freedom

Phrases surface easily,

Stripped of distractions, complications,

Straight from the heart, instead

Now realize what poetry has truly taught me:

To embrace myself for who I am - 

As a Muslim, a daughter, a sibling, a friend

To distance myself from those who leave me in smoldering pieces

Burn out the pain, the isolation,

And let positivity rest in my heart, unsuppressed

And realize that I am free - 

To hug the trunk of a tree

To write about the happiness I feel when I run in the evenings

To feel others' sadness of a thousand lifetimes

To let music run in my blood and send chills down my arms, a flush up my cheeks

To trust paper and pen to draw distress from me

Narrow the focus, lift the veils

To face the difficulties of being a Muslim in America with pride, and a fierce sense of righteousness

To feel the guilt of missing a quick baton handoff,

The burn in my hamstrings as I hurl myself - second - over the line

To agonize over family discord,

Or feel the shame of having been manipulated by a friend.

Wrapped in lies

Emotions span across a spectrum, 

But poetry has truly guided me

To find joy in the things I love

And find comfort in expressing myself

To confess -

My dreams, fears, worries, desires - 

And take pride in a beautifully crafted stanza

To acknowledge that subtle similes and obscure phrases have the potential to convey throbbing emotion

But also to know my saviors -

Family, whose distant roots write out my values;

Faith, which stabilizes my place in a world of prejudice;

Music, a force that allows me to feel;

Education, an institution of passion and adventure...

And track, which opens up a realm of possibilities

And allows me to sprint

Down the straight

And fly across the finish line

Into the unknown,

A vortex which can be discovered, explored, questioned...

With pen

And paper.