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The Encounter

You are my princess
sparkled with the gentle light
I’ll never forget
the day you came to my door
guided by ‘Fatimah’s hand’

Well-spring of water,
you quenched my thirst with your love
You became my light
I’ll cherish our love until
forever we’re together

 

In the past

You’re Fatimah in
the village I fled lifeless
You took me in for healing
until I regained my strength
bathed me in the rain of light

Emerald, your eyes
were much deeper than that lake
I bathed you, my love.
As we’re parted, secretly
I promised we’d meet again

 

Patrick and I

My life was ending
I still remember, my love,
You entered my life
I’ll revere Fatimah ‘til
we meet again at that door

Yes, my love, Patrick
I’ll wear this Fatimah’s hand
in all the next lives
It’ll carry us in her palms
‘til our destiny parts us

*   *    *

Fatimah’s hand: Fatimah is the name of Muhammad, Founder of Islam and a prophet of God. I’d worn the necklace of Fatimah’s hand for years before I came to the States in 1990. When I met Patrick for the first time, he recognized what it meant to him. Later, he asked me to carry it to the next lives for him to find me again, to which I said yes. Then, while he was ill, he shared the story now he remembered about our past life that we’d shared before.

I’ve composed my poetic story with three sets of Somonka. The Somonka is composed of two tankas ( unrhymed 5-7-5-7-7 syllable format) written as two love letters to each other (one tanka per love letter). This form requires two authors, but it’s possible to have a poet take on two personas.

Uncommon Poetic Forms

Please kindly read my earlier poem, “Patrick,” for your interest.
Patrick