Dear Self,
As I look back into my past actions, I realize that there were things that I should have changed. It’s interesting how so many authors, politicians, philosophers have written about ‘the past’ in relation to our present selves, but we continue to belabor the point. McCarthy states in All the Pretty Horses, that “Scars have the […] View
After the loss of my mother-in-law, my youngest daughter brought up the topic of starting to wear the hijab (a scarf that covers the hair, denoting our humbled nature towards God, and empowering our rights to protect our modesty in a world filled with immodesty). As a mother, who wanted to give my daughter a better chance at a larger pool of the ‘marriage mart’, my husband and I convinced her to wait. However, she brought up my inner need to wear the hijab myself and be a better practicing Muslim, because the hijab is a constant reminder of my connection to God. By wearing it, I’m reminded to always be grateful for what I have, not to envy what others do, work harder to achieve my desires within the dictates, rules and regulations given to Muslims through the Quoraan. I’ve also found that the acceptance I’ve received in this Western Country, Canada, was overwhelmingly positive and empowered me to stay the course of my beliefs. Now, I’m proud to say that my struggle to strengthen my belief is a daily occurrence, that I do my best not fall under its depressing weight. Struggling to unite people through the hijab is an uplifting experience, as one shares their experiences and problems, which in turn help others find solutions for their own set of issues.
My favorite comment when people meet me, is that I have a certain glow to my face that comes from the power of my faith.
Internet has facilitated global connections
Never stop the growth of writers
That rend their hearts as their words flow
Empowering the weak to
Remember their worth
Never succumbing to oppression’s
Timely propagation that cleaves
Intimate family members into
Open enemity, clearly ‘Dividing & Conquering’
Needlessly aggressive, destructive,
Avid in mercilessly taking resources and
Leaving nothing to the Indigenous peoples.
Write, revel, rebel, roast, rumble the gruesome
Reality of a world built on Materialism
Instead of unity of humanity
That lends compassion and succor that
Eventually works together against the oppressor
Ruining the ecology, separating family,
Solidifying Darwin’s rules of supremacy
Dealing in strength that overpowers others
Amid illegal, inhumane practices that have
Yet to be punished.
Powerful words, Malak. Your passion for justice and unity shines through. Keep writing, raising awareness, and fighting against oppression. Together, we can create a world that values compassion, equality, and the preservation of our planet. Never underestimate the impact of your voice and the power of collective action.
Give up, never!
The challenges of life give greater
Satisfaction when struggling to overcome them.
Give up, never!
Through war planes, attacker
On our land, as my partner is an army officer.
Give up, never!
Through financial strains, being a mother,
Teacher, student, niece, aunt, cousin, daughter…
With duties and love to give as worries grow stronger.
Give up, never!
Going through bowl obstruction surgeries, recover
From that alone is like moving through quick sand, a surfer
Of intense pain, stilted, limited movements that border
On the robotic before getting better.
Give up, never!
Immigrating at fourty plus is no simple matter,
With two teens and two adults to give succor
As the cultural, geographical, and familial reservoir
Dwindles and altered to an extreme purveyor
Of loss as we embrace newer circumstances in horror.
Give up, never!
Through each trial, the sun does shine brighter
And belief that you’re being tested makes me stronger.
Malak, This is really creative and powerful. You are such a strong person with a beautiful soul. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being part of The Unsealed family.<3 Lauren
The world runs around and bucks you
Of your trajectory with minutiea that drive you
Up a wall, and down into darkness which blinds
Your senses that either gives adrenaline or freezes
You into a statue that’s blind, deaf, and dumb.
Your vision turns into bright starts that short-
Circuit your mind with blinding light whose sport
Is to suppress your logic, embracing emotions
That turn you deaf to all evidence against your passions.
Those then steal your ability to speak your mind.
As the world moves round and round, like a merry
Go round, so do you try to stave off the shocks that ferry
You into dismay as experiences are disillusioningly
Petrifying, with their obstacles and demands
On your taking a stand outside your comfort zones.
Stay the course.
Stand tall.
Savor each experience.
Strengthen your faith with failure or success.
Sever negative relationships,
And let your self-confidence emerge
A snow white pigeon of peace and verve of life.
Hi,
This was my first piece on the unsealed, and I’m still flabbergasted that it still gets likes. If you enjoy what you’ve read, please follow me on my blog: http://www.malakkcwriting.com.
Thanks for the beautiful comment, they help inspire more writing!
I sit up,
Look up,
Firing my appreciation
To God, in whose contemplation,
Veneration, I’m engrossed
In my thanks to all that
I’ve got, that’s on the spot:
Family to love and cherish,
Kin to pray and think of me as I perish,
Friends who’ll miss my presence,
As our discussions cover matters that hence
Ruminate over social changes
Trending through social media’s
Imposing pressure over all genders
And age groups who surrenders
Their freedom to bondage
Of our sovereignty over our charge:
Our immortal soul, whose barred
From its morality, replaced
By being led to sins that destroy
Your connection to the All Mighty. A ploy,
To reduce believers that rebel against sins of immorality.
Malak, there is so much depth and power in your poetry. You are so insightful. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being part of The Unsealed family. <3 Lauren
Advocating for pushing beyond your
Comfort zone is easy, it’s just words.
Applying it to yourself is hard and requires
A dauntless temperament that’s bolder
Than your fear, that binds your actions.
As an introvert who bottles up her
Emotions and fears, confronting
Anyone who’s hurt me has a severe
Strain over me, anxiety flourishing,
Sweating, combing through vocabulary that Never,
Ever seems to fit, and always has
The possibility of being misinterpreted
As my clarity of thought comes
With pen, paper, thoughts processed
Slowly for the least hurt possible attained.
Consequences of words spoken
Can’t easily be taken back, and they happen
To have a lingering effect that’s unspoken!
Aww Malak – Never be afraid to use your voice – whether it be with a pen or a microphone. You are a strong and beautiful person, the world deserves to see your heart. Keep pushing yourself. You got this. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being part of The Unsealed. <3 Lauren
‘Who’s worthy of respect?’ Asks the
Oh so gentle soul. ‘Me, perhaps?’
Replying tentatively, I question whether
The ‘me’ others see is laudable with my
Honesty, diplomatically voiced,
Yet still encases my faith, ethics, and friendship.
Offering an ear, a hug, a friend, a listener
Free of malice and judgment, that’s never a jeer.
Resounding devotion can never
End, as long as your true self reverberates
Soulfully within a frequency received by
Peers and kin who feel the same.
Enter into the ring to battle out the
Captivating desires leading you astray
To a world where your worth is bound by trends.
The night’s fading darkness
Is illuminated by filaments that glimmers
With piercing reddish hues
Into a horizon of fading darkened blues.
With each touch of brilliant, glinting light
The scenery is transformed, bright
As a white pigeon in heightened flight,
Soaring, like Icarus, too near the sun’s slight
Heat that tenderly caresses its feathery
Wings across all living things, bravely
Broaching the new day optimistically,
Knowing that man’s destruction will invariably
Alter the breathtaking beauty of sunrise,
Twisting its vibrancy into shades
Of tenebrous grey, colorless, and lifeless,
As everything becomes hopeless.
Let each new day be your oath
To be stronger than the sun’s breadth,
As you emulate its depth
Of strength, that reigns above all in stealth.
Malak, I love this part: Let each new day be your oath
To be stronger than the sun’s breadth,
As you emulate its depth
Of strength, that reigns above all in stealth.
Check out our newsletter today. I will feature a link to this poem.
The lion lays quietly atop an overhanging hill.
He waits, watches in the vain fervor that his prey
Will come to him in deadly night like a diet pill
That will stop his hunger and permit his teeth to stay
Sharp, glistening white, creating a shiver of fear
Of their ferocity and ability to tear apart an arm,
Or important extremities that flash their spear
Of speed trying to outrun the King.
The atmosphere of fear is so authentic
That I can feel the lion’s eyes shifting silently,
Watching guardedly, waiting patiently to pounce happily
On his unsuspecting prey. His jaws are cave like
In their imposing strength and force of bite.
This piece is so creative. You are so talented. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being part of our little family. Keep writing. You are changing the world. <3 Lauren
A Labyrinth of life and living
Flies by with the passing minutes,
Striving to leave imprints,
That are positive in their fleeting
Flight, that they can’t be bound.
Imprisoned by labels, categories,
Races, and groups that astound
In their versatility, but not humanities.
I’ve lived in this labyrinth of life,
Where negativity was the succor
Given by some of my entourage, that’s rife
With jealousy, bias, and is a bereaver.
They suck out the optimism and
Joy of life out of each stupendous second,
That you fear drowing in the labyrinth
Of fiery destruction that steals your breath.
Instead, let the minutia of the labyrinth
Turn into an adventurous life in stealth.
Your poem captures the nature of life’s difficulties and the struggle to find positivity during the confusion. The metaphor of the labyrinth is very effective in conveying the sense of being lost.
Hi,
I’m flabbergasted by belief as it mirrors mine. However, your wording and imagery are unforgettable as they leave a mark of hope in my soul. Never stop writing!
I watch as she pirouettes,
Her dress, a parachute, flies
In waves to her flutters.
Her sensual beauty attracts
An audience, not for her moves,
But for the supplication in her eyes.
They shine with an inner peace
That translates into a pace
Shinier than the purest diamond face.
My gaze is glued to her flexible
Limbs that have divined that the rain bubble
Ensconces her in a world where trouble
Is an abstract concept she’s never
Experienced, as her innocent cover
Protects her as she adds prayer to the dancer.
As her body flows, swings, undulates,
She hears titters on her esthetics.
She says: ‘Believe in a faith that provides
Truth and dares to challenge lies.’
They then turn away and bicker,
Having forgotten why she was a riveting picture.
This is so beautiful. I can visualize the imagery here. Thank you so much for sharing your words. This poem is a reminder to never let anyone shake your confidence <3 lauren
This poem is very beautiful. And the imagery is very detailed. “her dress, a parachute, flies” is by far my favorite line because it’s so easy to imagine her dress and her movement. Thank you for sharing
Hi,
As an educator and mother, I noticed that connections with children is a must for understanding and to be able to provide help where needed. Those who hate have missed out on it and need our support to overcome their troubles.
I’m so glad it resonates with you, as society seems to be degenerating and loss of forgiveness and hope are the victims. I hope there are more people like us out there who can band together.
Hi, I’m so glad my writing had an impact in you, that’s positive. I believe that forgiveness is a need we need to strive towards, as it’s the only thing that can save our sanity.
I’m astounded by your reaction to my writing, and am humbled by your support and understanding. I’ll keep the flame of positivity on high in hopes that it’ll engulf the world with Its heat.
Dear Asia,
I’m so glad you understood that my perspective is a positive one and not a hurtful one. This poem was inspired by a contest online, but my varied experiences in war, racism, colonialism, and demeaning speech have turned me into a believer of turn the other cheek, but by helping the other understand yours through conversation. Faith is also a key factor in my beliefs, that asks of me to be able to forgive.
Believing in yourself is the first
Step to building strength that doesn’t rest.
Then, listening to others, not needing
To participate, unjudgemental, hearing
What others need, interject, harboring
Your doubts and advice so as not harming.
Speak my mind, state my faith,
Being proud of my achievements whose breadth
May seem unimportant to others, but their breath
Is my motivation to stretch abilities in depth.
Faith and belief are the core
Of my power to never bore,
As I know their roots moor
My might within a mind who’s dire.
My scars, those that society frowns
Upon, are my badges of honor, survivals,
Will, and mind over matters
That seem trivial in light of my powers.
Malak, This is beautiful. You are right, believing in yourself is the basis of strength. You have so much power and that’s evident in your writing. Keep being strong. Keep writing! Thank you for sharing your talent with us. <3 Lauren
I’m astounded by your reaction to my writing, and am humbled by your support and understanding. I’ll keep the flame of positivity on high in hopes that it’ll engulf the world with Its heat.
Malak, having faith and belief are strong strengths to have especially today. When you have faith and belief you’re able to achieve goals that you didn’t think about achieving. You’re able to move on from any cuts that may hurt at first but turn into scars. Those marks are what you look back on and think. I made it through that battle. It’s tim…read more