By Anas Al Balushi
Being in love with life betrayed me
I was the lion, overly protected
I was the victim of the hyenas’ laughs
For ten years
–
In the last two, I became the mountain
Thunderous clouds surrounded me
Yet I never flinched
I never moved
Not even to where I wanted to
–
Then, I was admitted into the holy land
With promises
With proud smiles
For their promises I have paid
Most of what I had saved
In four months, it was all to be returned
–
Now, more than five years passed
And my pocket is empty
As empty as my soul
Each day marks a fight between them
Each night for me is the hell everyone hears about
But never saw
Each struggle I fought alone
Not the lion I took myself to be
Not the mountain I strived to be
–
Alone
I am the hollow trunk
Of a solid tree
Many are around me in the forests of life
But no one is with me
–
Still, I love them
I love life
It is just that
In our embrace
Life stabs my back
Anas Al Balushi is an emerging poet from Oman. He was among the winners of the 2019 PennedThoughts Creative Writing Award. His interests vary between philosophy, literature and psychology.
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