whispers of autumn

"whispers of autumn"
by azly rahman

as they heal
from the wounds borne out of calmness of the starry night
each leaf on the tree that grew out of the jealous sun
becomes a whisper
becomes a raging wind
each whisper a catharsis
of a memory etched in a distant drumbeat
of a war-torn past

in a battlefield of longingness
whose flame
like that thousand-year-old eternal flame on an altar
in a persian temple
each flame
each leaf
each sorrow
becomes music to my ears
you have asked me if i would ease your pain
each drop of water for
each leaf that weep and whisper
--- the flames of that starry past
you had asked me
with words unspoken
if i may with you wait
for each leaf to drop
like fallen leaves in a frozen autumn
for each leaf to slowly
majestically
silently
fall with grace
to the ground
like a natural death
painless
painless
painless
you had asked me these
i have smiled
not a single word i uttered
i turned away
my gaze towards the jealous sun
while you whisper in my ears
the joys of your suffering
because
you have known both
and have become
the healer-- and the healing
rest in peace
while i become each flame
each leaf
with a drop of water
i bathe in it
-- in a memory of you
-- in an everlasting autumn