One Step Behind: A New Poem And The Story Behind It

in #poetry5 years ago

So last night I went to the final event of a project called "The Poets Academy". I discovered that there is a nice community of poets. Listening to some great Tunisian poets perform, I felt like something was revived in me. A being that was suppressed for long is now trying to surface, to take over. My guess: it's Arabic poetry.

Deja Vu:

I woke up in the morning, trying to remember the dream I had--something I don't usually do. I was sitting in the back seat in a poetry event while a girl was reciting her poem about God, Adam and his apple, angels...
How strange, I thought when I woke up, why am I not the one on stage reading my poem? And why am I in the back seat? But, it felt so real!

Reality:

The Poets Academy has been going on for months, and I only knew about it when they got to the quarterfinals? Plus, They only accept people who are younger than 25. That, I guess, answers for the first question. As for the second, the answer is: I was in the hospital visiting my grandfather right before attending the event, so I was late--or almost late. The girl who read the poem about Adam and the apple was a friend of mine. I mean a facebook friend, and we participated in other poetry events earlier. So she was a familiar face to me, unlike all the other poets. Maybe that's why I only saw her in the dream. If that was indeed a dream. I mean I only remembered the dream and my reaction to it when I saw it again in reality.

Inspiration:

A few days later I wrote something in Arabic. I'm sure hearing Tunisian poems helped a lot, but also something else. So here's the poem and a translation of it with an apology in advance because, even translated by the writer himself, a translation can never be as good as the original text.

سأكون دائما خلفك بخطوة
ألتقط دموع فرحك
قبل أن تموت شوقا لك
بالطبع وأيضا دموعك الأخرى
أعانقها وأواسيها
وأجد نفسي في الحكايات التي ترويها
كيف كانت جزءا منك
فصارت في لحضة عاطفة
وسيلة للتعبير
ثم مرت العاصفة
وظللت أنا وهي
خلفك بخطوة.

I will always be one step behind you,
catching your tears of joy,
right before they die missing you.
Also, of course, your other tears,
hugging them, comforting them,
and finding myself in the stories they tell:
How they were once part of you.
Then, became, in a moment of emotion,
means to communication.
Then, the storm has passed
and I stayed, along with them,
One step behind you.

Something Else:

By something else, I meant this girl, friend, for now, towards whom I have some mixed feelings that I think it's too soon to call love. And yet I was, kind of, thinking of her when I wrote these lines or at least the first line. This is so embarrassing, "I will always be one step behind you" meant the TV series we're watching. She watches something, suggests it to me, and I'd watch it after her. But that didn't need to be in a poem. It got me to start writing because I need to start with something real, even if I go astray afterwards ;)

20180204_145602.jpg

Isn't the Arabic language just beautiful?
This photo was taken last year in Djerba, Tunisia.

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Ooooh! How's it going with the girl? Sorry I didn't see this right away. That was a sweet poem. :)

hehe thanks :)
well, nothing is happening lol yet ;)

Awww... Sorry I missed this twin 🤗 I hope that girl is as Awsome as you are... Anything good to tell? 😊 You deserve the best and you know I appreciate you ❤️ love the words and yes Arabic sounds beautiful but when I try to read... I just se beautiful letters... Lol
Can't read them. Much love 🤗

looool twin you're so funny!
hehe she's a nice person. and a good friend (for now ;) )

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