Author Information
a veil
What is in the veil?
What picture comes to mind?
Protection covering the newborn
A barrier against the new world
An introduction soft and gentle
Sometimes parting while others softly fluttering
Peeping though new experiences
Excluding harmful subjects
Parting to accept love and warmth
Closed against cold and danger
Little fingers pulling and attacking
Playing with the loose ends
Sometimes even sucking at it!
What is in the veil?
What picture comes to mind?
The entry into a new world
Of essence and candle smoke
Coloured visions looking down
Gazing upon bent heads
All veiled all the same
Low cast eyes thinking pious thoughts
Worshiping, praying asking
Maybe humming a psalm, or prayer beads
Offering the world kindness, protected
From all elements, cold heat and wet
Their emblem proclaiming them.
What is in the veil?
What picture comes to mind?
Florence Nightingale, angles of mercy
Ah truly! The fluttering in the silence
Brought the wounded comfort
The white in the dark symbolized
Relief, help, kind words even life
Tugging at the end an over looked human
Ripping it to hold together a battered figure
A cover to protect from the weather
A warmth to wrap a lonely child in
A cover for the dead if need be
A sign, we are here.
What is in the veil?
What picture comes to mind?
The maid the lowly status
The differentiation between classes
To keep the hair out of the food
To protect her or to stigmatise her
To pick them out in a crowd
To undermine them and order them
To appreciate them after years gone by
To hear storytelling in evenings
To be lulled to sleep to their songs
To be protected against parents by them
A covered head is all that?
What is in the veil?
What picture comes to mind?
Of all the good aspects and connotations
Why is it then, why does the hejab
Bring to mind only the low status
The picture of unpleasantness
Although a more positive vision be
With all the world views and cultures
All religions and cults why is the hejab
A victim, a symbol of unhappiness
Bring to mind the bride, nun, and nurse
Remember piety and symbolism
Believe in the perfect and glorified Allah, Subhan Allah
27-11-2001
Simple & complicated ... clear & mysterious ... soft & serious ... cheerful & gloomy ... fabulous & real ... BUT nevertheless Exceptional !!
An anazing issue to break through, gigi !!
I really like this poem, especially these lines: "Bring to mind the bride, nun, and nurse Remember piety and symbolism Believe in the perfect and glorified Allah, Subhan Allah." Thanks for sharing and salam..