Hibah SHABKHEZ is a writer of the half-yo literary tradition, an erratic language-learning enthusiast, a teacher of French as a foreign language and a happily eccentric blogger. Studying languages and literature from a comparative perspective across linguistic and cultural boundaries holds a particular fascination for her.
Dark spinning avius, fly into the sun
Icarus, Icarus, hold! Here we come
Upon the soaring black wings of life
To snatch my son from the Wave
...
Heal me slowly, O death, heal me slowly
Leave me the day's dying light
Come for me gently in the night
Heal me slowly, O death, heal me slowly
...
Set aside dull labour, set aside cold pleasure
We ride for the mountains, for the evergreen treasure
Ah! The call of the Lord of the Snows has come
We ride North, awaken! We ride North!
...
Here we lay etched upon the grass
The sun rained down in broken rays
Seared to smudges, fried-onion brass
The colour that will haunt our days
...
(First published in The Ravi 2015)
I flee the jaws of Time's story
As they snip me apart twig by twig
Black Roses nesting
...