I sat there between the mourning women,

I couldn’t step forward near her,

I seemed as a fading woman lying on her deathbed,

Waiting her last word to utter.

I was overwhelmed with intense pain, fear,

Sorrow and frustration.

I wanted to hold her gentle hand,

And wipe her scorching tears,

I wanted to give her an affectionate cuddle,

To soothe and console her, but I couldn’t!

I stood up motionless,

Where my eyes were associated with her engorged eyes,

And I got lost in the struggling moments.

There, she extended her hand to reach mine,

I grabbed it, and got heated in her distressed world.

I felt her pain of losing a part of her heart,

I heard her choked voice, calling her brother,

I sensed her pity for her orphaned angel,

I didn’t want to leave her,

I felt guilty to be engrossed in my factual life,

My routine while my friend is grieving.

Finally, “Ya Rab,” she said,

eyes,

And I got lost in the struggling moments.

There, she extended her hand to reach mine,

I grabbed it, and got heated in her distressed world.

I felt her pain of losing a part of her heart,

I heard her choked voice, calling her brother,

I sensed her pity for her orphaned angel,

I didn’t want to leave her,

I felt guilty to be engrossed in my factual life,

My routine while my friend is grieving.

Finally, “Ya Rab,” she said,

And it was the shimmering hope in my twisted world.     

                                                                                Written by Mrs. Zeinab Hammoud

                                                       Eighth and Ninth teacher (Al-Mahdi -shahed)