Interior unknown
79. The Screen
This device has been a staple of my life for years, but
it has now become an addiction I’m beginning to fear
It starts with checking my email in the morning, then
before long I’m streaming and chatting and blogging.
I’m called by my friends and family and peers, however,
all their calls are nulled by the screen, and I’ve disappeared
I’m transfixed by its beckoning light and imaged worlds, and
have lost interest in the reality around.
It offers entertainment, virtual experiences and information, but
lacks the intimacy of human interaction.
An appealing contraption of attractive power has
locked its subjects in an inescapable tower.
Connected to every country from a comfortable seat, but
lacking the experience. What a cheat!
I sit here behind a screen to write this poem, isn’t this
the most ironic statement you have ever known?
80. Secrets in the Dark
Secrets in the dark
Make you whole or incomplete
Keep or bury deep
Fearing they escape
Pondering your horrid fate
They have become you
Secrets keep you safe
Binding you to friend and foe
Without them you’re lost
81. Settle
Settling a debt I didn't owe
Settling for a seed that cannot grow
Settling to avoid a truth I know
Harsh is the light shining bright
Harsh is the darkness you have to fight
Harsh is the truth I already know
Poison seeping through my veins
Poison, invisible without a name
Poison is the truth I painfully know
Settling is to choose and not to choose
Settling is the fear that made you lose
Settling is the truth I've always known
82. Silence
Between every word ever said
A thousand more, heard but not uttered
In the silence lies the truth
That which is often concealed
The one that only the quiet can reveal
A motion, a glance, a smile
Rarely hides what words deny
Through the cracks of every phrase
Run the meanings that no one says
With facts always known
And acts protected, never shown
While relying heavily on senses
Rather than explanations that might create messes
An understanding that cannot be described
Awaits in peacefulness, where noise does not reside
Words unsaid are the most powerful of all
The silence holds stories told and never told
83. State of Crisis
In a crisis state
Panic overwhelms the crowd
Calming miracle
To hold emotions
And suppress your daunting fear
Or stand in its face
For every crisis
There is a concealed blessing
But it leaves a trail
84. The Storm
Static approaching
Accompanied by strong sounds
A flash of lightning
With flooding rains and
Aggressive winds all around
The storm rose and peaked
85. Style of Disdain
A style of disdain
New with a freshly pressed smile
And bloody brush strokes
Red clears the canvas
Making way for dripping black
What an endless loop
86. A Teasing Game
We tease and we play
A game without rules is shared
Triggered by a void
Consenting adults
Are only allowed to play
No questions are asked
A dangerous game
Of a forbidden nature
Intrigued are you not?
87. Terrified
Terror seeping into my soul
Emotional wreck, almost not whole
Relentless agony, which must be endured
Reminded by horrors? I’m not even sure
Ignorant of events yet to come
Fearful of demons, when there are none
Impossible anxiety, beyond rationality
Eating away at the truths of reality
Dominating my thoughts and causing calamity
88. Treasure Chest
A chest of treasures
Among the gems and jewels
A precious locket
So mysterious
With strangers’ faces inside
Who were those people?
A mystery chest
Full of past unknown secrets
Jewels can’t compare
89. Unpredictable Journey
As unsteady as a rocky path
As challenging as a herculean task
As narrow as the widest lane
As bumpy as an unhinged train
Life’s journey continues on
As thrilling as a roller-coaster ride
As changing as the ocean tides
As ferocious as a hunting tiger
As deadly as a venomous viper
This journey into the unknown
As rewarding as helping the blind
As delicious as apple pie
As fluctuating as mood
As soothing as solitude
A journey of constant discovery
90. The Vehement Rider
Vehement rider
Took the reins of his strong steed
Deadly was their quest
A violent road
Filled with treacherous dangers
A brutal journey
Fear didn’t factor
Limited were his choices
Only way ahead
91. Venus
Venus flaming high
In the pitch darkness she shines
Extreme is her heat
A beauty goddess
Desired by the lustrous
Ethereal and pure
Grows stronger with age
A new form every era
Modern: unyielding
92. Waiting in the White
On a smooth carpet
White as milk and cold as frost
He lies patiently
With his charcoal eyes
Peering intensely through fog
The wild white wolf waits
93. The Way
In every place
And on every day
There is someone, who would say
“You need to do this in this way”
To those people I’d like to say
Who are you to show me the way?
And why does it need to be your way,
But not my way?
There was a time long ago
When people weren’t told where to go
By those who only claim to know
And assert their need to do so
My business is mine and mine alone
Because when the light fades and the day is gone,
Neither you nor I can claim what’s wrong
We both simply need to stand firm and strong
Because at this time
A judge will say
Which is the only way
94. Where is Home?
It was cold when I woke up this morning on the street
With bitter cold wind freezing my face, my hands and my feet
‘You’re finally awake, good morning!’ she said
Greeting me as if I had just gotten out of bed
‘We have new toys today.’
She ironically continued, calling out for me to play
We play with bullets and we play with bombs
While other kids play with real toys in their homes
We have no homes, no school, just streets that are painted red
A sentence that she often said
And hearing it I would always dread
However it was true, because both our parents were dead
But through it all, we laughed and we played
Until it came, that dreaded time of day
When we could no longer stay
And we all had to run away
They hid behind their fortresses and guns
And killed everyone, old and young
Until in the end there were none
Only then would their task be done
We watched in silence and in fear
Waiting for them to disappear
The man in the helmet vacantly stared
As if I was no more than air
He then turned and vanished, after accomplishing his deed
He was pleased, even honored, to have satisfied their greed
As quickly as it had started, it finally stopped
And with the sound of the last gunshot, my heart suddenly dropped
I walked down the street trying to ignore the bodies and the blood
Looking for her, looking ahead
All the time hoping I wouldn’t see the body I prayed I would never have to see
The one I saw lying right in front of me
She’d disappeared for a moment when I turned my head
And now she is resting dead
I cried as I roamed the streets all alone
Where, oh God, where is home?
She was my best friend, my family, my all
She made me feel safe in a time of war
In a country that was no longer mine, I stood on my own
Wondering where is my home?
95. Window
Staring out the window
Watching the sun rise
Head still on my pillow
As the little bird flies
Green are the trees
And calm is the river
Swaying are the leaves
Near a flow that lasts forever
A peaceful morning
That won't disappoint
Hope is always soaring
When lives are joined
96. Winter Nights
On cold winter nights
Watching through the window panes
Wrapped in a blanket
Silver streets glisten
And gleam in the neon lights
Heavy rains in sight
97. Winter Witch
Wicked witch
Wearing white
Waiting for a while
Warm winter
Welcoming watchers
Whispering near the water
Witch wishes watchers
While freezing water
Wondrous wonderland of ice
White ground
White water
White smiling witch
Watchers become skaters
When water turns to ice
Winter witch walks away with glee
98. Words
Words are knives
They can slay
They can wound
They can cut
Words are brushes
They can paint a scene
They can clean a mess
They can grease a pan
Words are vehicles
They can cross a sea
They can circle the globe
They can transcend time
Beyond all boundaries
Against any tribulations
Across all cultures
Words are eternal
99. A World of Nonsense
A world of peace
A world of war
A world that once was
And is forever no more
This world we live in
Which makes absolutely no sense
Where we will never belong
For its illogical dangers are immense
100. Wounds
Wounds carved deep within
Scarring, painful to the core
They last and linger
Emotions surface
Exposing the buried wounds
Harmful words escape
With fresh blood dripping
New wounds lacerate the flesh
Fragile beings fall
Review by Vernita Naylor for Readers’ Favorite
Do you like poetry? What message does poetry convey to you? What expressions do you feel when you read poetry? Winter Nights by Baheya Zeitoun presents to readers over fifty poems of varying lengths about mindfulness, emotions and fear. As you read through Winter Nights, you will experience a variety of emotions as seen through the eyes of Baheya Zeitoun. Baheya Zeitoun expresses how matters of the heart can not only be told through pen and paper, but how those words speak volumes through their message. Take a journey and feel the heat, passion and life in Winter Nights as you read poems such as Failure, Breaking the Silence, Hurting Love, Calmness Within and Words. It is the words in Winter Nights that stimulate the psyche and ignite a flow of energy and passion to want more.
As I read the poems Empty and I Am Who I Am, I felt the essence of being. As it says in Empty: “...In this uncertain future/ With little hope Is the path of life you need to take.” Empty is a strong yet vulnerable poem. Reading Winter Nights, you will see that emotions are not only what we express, but become who we are. If you are seeking a collection of eclectic poetry, get a copy of Winter Nights by Baheya Zeitoun to add to your library.