Melodic

To that waiting on the river bank, while I travel in towns never have I seen, with doves on her shoulders and tenderness flowing from her palms— Wael

Why chases me, wherever I go,
    the sound of the violin?

Travel do I in old trains
    for I could talk to elderly strangers
I raise my voice, 
    for it to hide the noise of wheels
And I sleep to the beats of the train’s heart of iron
    roaring like the mills
But suddenly 
    the beats get farther and farther
And the calling of the violin, awakens

Among the crowds, I walk the carnivals
Listening to the soldiers’ brass trumpets;
Filling my throat, the dust of the zealous anthem
Suddenly, I lose my sight
Vanish the rows before me 
And far away disappear the chants
And bit by bit, 
    comes back to my heart, the sound of the violin 

Why, when I get ready to sleep, comes back the violin?
Listen do I, emanating far away
Mutes,
    the humming of the wind behind the windows
    the pulse of the pillow in my ear
Slows down the beats of my heart
And I travel in towns never have I seen
    with streets of silver
    and buildings of rays of light
I meet my date on the bank of the river, waiting
On her shoulders,
    descend the migrating doves
And from her palms,
    flows tenderness

Ye, I adore
The heels of guns dethroned the violin
Never-ending grenades replaced gardens’ doves
And vanish did the violin
Vanish did the violin

Wael AbdAlmageed

Pittsburgh, January 06, 2022