Poem: In Memoriam, Taufiq Rafat (1927-1998)

There are some secrets buried deep

Within the rocks—

 

He sought to raise them

From their burial grounds

Immemorial

With his songs

To the strum

Of strings, and

The beat of ancient drums,

Breaking open the casques

Of many-coloured glass

And the midnight sun chasing the stars

Across the vineyards of a blinding sleep;

 

Then, meteors traced

Their fiery tails

And clouds discharged their lilting tunes,

Burning the towers into ashes of remorse

 

Shadows disappearing

Into shadows

And all riddles

Solved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pub orig in 1998 with obituary