Glass Heart

the green bottle shards, throttle
my happy heart and adoring face
as we court courteously in the courtyards
tartly, the queen of swords,
covetous
cares not a green speck on the earth
for our game of loves and thrones,
no aces in our decks
no last breath
no final plea
I die, not seen.


- By Laila Ali Haid

Sin of Pride

Temporarily yoked,
by a mortal love
darting toward your leather jacket
tearing open
your puffed heart
pierced, now congealed in bloody pride
and jingoistic sighs.

- By Laila Ali Haid

The Dua Story

one headache here
an exam fail there
she feels obscenely alone
without an inner home
her though process broken into
and the robber is shaytan.
embarrassed before her Lord
humbled by sin
the momentum finally
emerges within.

~

Dua starts with praise
and durood for sure
we finish our petition
as we begun
and by putting our hope in the repentance law

-By Laila Ali Haid

Be a woman

contorted into an image
birthed from a mind
infected with misogyny
be a woman
everyone has an opinion
about your next performance
shall you be dainty or a tomboy
its all the same to me
never unique
we are one blended shrieking mass
oh, but we can't do maths
the 'men' say
large and in charge
they trip over our hems.

- By Laila Ali Haid

Donald Trump Blues, Theresa May Flu

In the West

an axis of evil

crystallizes

and threatens
all life forms.

the worker toils
many tears
cascade down his cheeks,
or maybe it is sweat.
I'm bewildered of,
counting down to,
the journals, blogs, fake outrage.
well paid media professionals
over chai tea latte discuss,
forecast his tantrums.

Back in Blighty,
we have a lady head of state
but don't call it progress
I label it a fool's process.

Why bother?


- By Laila Ali Haid

Glass Mind

transparent and caught

within my mind 

human livestock graze

they know not better

and I know not at all

they sow for fruitful

destruction.

I am vulnerable to their steps

they drown my cries

all throughout the night

the foghorn sounds

it tapes me down

to the sinkhole

of despair.

- By Laila Ali Haid

Breakthrough

I float midway and sit
in obedience
to the ever-longing screw-with-yer-mind
-ers
they cannibalize,
stuff down,
yer vital bits.
treat you like pic n mix.
you are 'living' in an air-balloon, so mediocre
through sheets of plastic hastily painted magenta
hot air is puked in every direction.


- By Laila Ali Haid