“Secrets” by Fatima Abdul-Aleem

There are secrets buried in this room, skeletons from long ago.

If you stay here past the time you’ve been permitted,

the ghost of yesterday introduces herself to you.

If you exit in a hurry, you just get to feel something watching,

a simple presence that is neither reassuring nor friendly.

 

There is something unhealthy behind this door,

a lurking witness to an age-old assault, perhaps even a murder.

The kindler of a fire that burned out of control, or is it the victim,

who simply can’t find sleep until her crime is solved?

 

There is an unseen force in here, this room is not right,

feel the cool breeze on your arms as you come to sit a bit.

Inhale the aroma of what initially smells of gardenia,

breathe it in more and then you notice it,

the aroma switches from that of a springtime morning to the stench of death.

 

This door that stands erect, separating the hidden things of the past,

wears the markings of a struggle and pain. There along the inside frame are scratches,

that of a person clawing desperately to freedom.

 

The walls inside this room resemble so much of the same,

nail prints left behind so that each visitor that is summoned sees the scripted message,

reliving that frightful moment through her eyes, as she pulls them into a world by the

means of a seduction.

 

She stays awake nights whistling to them, inciting people to come to her,

the thump of her cane as it knocks on the wooden floor,

encourages people to open up the door.

They enter thinking they are a guest, only to realize later, by the

sinister games she plays, that they are nothing more than a pond and sometimes her trophy.

 

There are secrets buried in this room, skeletons from long ago.

If you stay here well past the time you’ve been permitted,

the ghost of yesterday introduces herself to you.

If you exit in a hurry, you just get to feel something watching,

a simple presence that is neither reassuring nor friendly.

Lost Affair by Fatima Abdul-Aleem

Fatima Abdul-Aleem

Lost Affair

I am crying,

the tears are falling,

down they come.

An outpour of loneliness,

expressed in the only way I know how.

You see,

I miss the warmth,

the feel of  someone’s caress

on my pages.

Massaging my covers,

touching my essence,

as they delve into the words

enveloped inside me.

They seek the promise of escape,

the illusion of make believe,

the power of growth.

I miss their scent.

That sweaty smell

of a hard days’ work,

that lingering aroma

of the morning’s perfume.

I miss being alive.

A thumping passion

in the hearts of the young,

as they eagerly look ahead.

A resounding memory

of the elderly,

as they prepare to exit

this adventure, called life.

For I have been replaced with

touch screens, audio, live feeds.

Machines bellow out my contents,

videos explain what I mean.

Computer keys are punched

to replace his fingers,

her hands.

The melody of the love we shared

exchanged,

for an iPad, a Kindle, a Nook.