Remember
Remember
Remembering
I watch you now
remembering
it was not too long ago
remembering
grown up
with the facts of life
(Darling it turns out you know nothing)
and I don’t
but I
Remember
and am
remembering
Shocks of truth
as a child I found
among men
Remember?
when you used to sit
and feel so close
watching the cards dance
see the funny ways your uncles
and daddy
and gramps
and good friends
watch the
cigarettes turn to ash
the
glasses of shai clink
some snuck in whisky
remember?
Remember when
they’d play whist till dawn
slap each others backs with
beautiful wide grins
their
jalabeeyas hiked
their
smiles bright
smoke rings
and
tobacoo perfumes
the air
‘ayyyyy’ they’d wail
when a bad hand
prevailed
Remember?
Little pinches to your
cheek
and it was so normal
to sit
and giggle
in your daddy’s lap
‘this is an ace, this a spade, and this a heart…
a queen of hearts your are to me!’
with a concentrated frown
handing you each card
you lay them triumphantly
and you’d fight your eyelids not to close
curl your body around
a bed of 3imas
and sleep
Remember?
the clinks of your shai glasses still linger
in my head
the aroma of tobacco
wisdoms stench
the naughty words I heard
memorized (& used in school)
the timber of voices
gone and past
I can still hear your laugh
Remember
Remember
these near forgotten lullabies you sang to me
I can hear you
Questioning
But where are you now?
To what corners have you fled now?
How many years has it been now?
I’m Remembering
Nubian(Q) 