Written by Simra Iqbal
This poem is written about a book that truly gave my life a different meaning: “Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam” by A. Helwa.
Serenity
My heart trembles,
With fear unleashed.
In the silence of the dark,
In the loneliness of the walls.
Tranquility vanishes,
In the fragility of the air,
Eyes, start blurring,
Lips. Shaking,
Chin. Quivering,
Hands. Begging,
Soul. Shattering.
Lips bleed out,
With thoughts
My mind cannot.
The world vanishes
Into the abyss.
A whisper calls out
Through the gasping of air.
Remember…
Light radiates,
Through the open doors,
Like a light in the dark,
Like a star at night,
Like a response to a call.
No breath went by unheard.
Every tear that came undone,
Every squeeze of the heart,
Every breath filled with pain,
Every emotion,
that coursed through my veins.
Every tick of time
That swayed me
To the belief of love,
That, love is a luxury,
One, I cannot afford
Nor do I deserve.
But He,
He is Love.
So, how can it be denied?
I watched
as my heart spilled
Onto the crystal tiles
Into innumerable fragments
And gazed back up at me
From a million orbs.
The shards
pierced through flesh,
It’s jagged edges
leaving traces,
That even the tiniest
of forceps
Couldn’t extract.
The scars,
Forever faded
But the ones on my heart
Resembled a cracked mirror
Full of fractures
That never evanesces.
My personal copy of Secrets of Divine Love, carrying the creases, prayers, and quiet moments that shaped this journey. Photo by Simra Iqbal
***
This poem was originally submitted to a high-school literary competition at Humble High School, where it was awarded first place. The prompt was to craft a poem on a book that had affected the poet in some meaningful way.
About the Author
Simra Iqbal is a sophomore at Humble High School who loves to read, a hobby that naturally grew into a passion for writing. She also loves to spend time with her cousins, who always bring fun, laughter, and inspiration into her life.