Mar30

They Do Not Leave

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By Myra Jafri

 

They leave without a trace –

No fleeting embrace,

No peck on the cheek or a squeeze of the hand,

No warm whispering breath bidding you farewell.

But you can hear them still

   In the lull of leaves,

      In the whirling of winds,

         In the tossing of tides –

You can hear them.

You can smell them still

   In the just-watered grass,

      In the rusting of brass –

You can smell them.

You can see them still

   In the searing sun,

      In the dusty clouds,

         In a flickering flame –

You can see them.

They do not leave.

   They have simply set sail,

      Trailing behind them pieces of themselves

For us to keep.

Image

 (Dedicated to Nana Abu)

49 responses »

  5. Beautifully written 🙂 simple yet heart warming! your words explain what most of us feel when they go through the phase of losing a loved one. btw Nana abu would be proud :3

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  6. For anyone who has lost a loved one, this poem is the culmination of unsaid thoughts. I love the way the rhythm winds itself with both the abstract and the physical. Beautiful and succint.

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  7. For anyone who has ever lost a loved one this poem is the culmination of unsaid thoughts. I especially love how the rhythm winds itself within both the abstract and the physical. Beautiful and succint.

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  8. For anyone who has ever lost a loved one, this poem is the culmination of unspoken thoughts. I particularly love how the rhythm winds itself with both the abstract and the physical. Lovely.

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  9. A loved one can never be truly lost to anything. Their physical existence, maybe, but their spirit lingers and circles our existence for as long as they stay in our hearts. Death is only the end to a love that is physical, but the start of a spiritual love that can’t be tamed or put to rest. It remains– in the rustling of leaves, the scent of a flower, the familiar smile of a stranger, the eyes of a loved one.

    Beautifully written, Myra.
    Im truly moved. 🙂

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  21. Excellent poem, you’ve expressed yourself well, Myra – the simplicity of the language combined with the universal theme of loss create empathy and help to draw the reader in.

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  22. This poem is a true respite from the shattering belief that when we lose someone, they are gone forever.

    It emnates warmth and reassurance, giving us confirmation that those who have passed will always remain a part of us, our lives and our world. A true sight for sore eyes. Loved it, Myra!

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  24. This is beautiful Myra, amazingly written. It made me remember the most important person I’ve lost. This poem is so overwhelming.this poem made me ecstatic. Lovely

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  26. Dear Myra Jafri,

    This is an amazingly well written poem. I was so moved I actually had tears in my eyes by the end of the poem and could feel exactly what you must have been through.

    You have got so much talent. Keep it up!

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  27. Absolutely lovely. Is the indentation of the lines intentional? It complements the movement in the poem itself. Very beautifully expressed, Myra J, I wish you’d write more often!

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    • You’re the first to notice the indentation. Yes it is most certainly intentional. I wanted the verses to mimic the movement of the ‘whirling wind’, ‘tossing tides’ etc.

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  28. Beautifully written. Had you not written about to whome you were referring to there were an innumerable amount of permutations otherwise. I could you could we all could relate. Well done

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