Whispers Between the lines

 ​The world demands a curated face, A porcelain grin, a measured pace I move through shadows, guarded and disciplined A kite held tight against a shifting wind ​But then you wander through my mind And leave the restless noise behind A sudden bloom of internal light The way the hearthfire meets the night ​I do not have to hide the fray The quiet aches or words I cannot say With you, the heavy armor falls away Like golden mist at the break of day ​No scripts to read, no parts to play, Just stillness where the soul can stay You are the anchor, the steady release My sudden warmth, my sovereign peace... _Nidal Sati

If I could walk through time again, A ghost upon a different stage, I'd see the faces then and when, And skip the next, blank, unseen page. I'd pass the stranger on the street, And turn away from every door, Lest their hello become defeat, And leave me wanting something more. For in their eyes, a future sleeps, A coming hurt, a heavy cost, A vow that's made, a wound that deeps, A love that's found and then is lost. So I'd retreat from every face, From every hand that reaches out, To keep my heart in its safe place, And quiet every lonely doubt. To stand alone, a hollow form, Untouched by joy or bitter strife, And build a shelter from the storm, By never truly living life... Nidal Sati