Acrostic
Humidity, Yikes!
Living in the Deep South and in Central Louisiana but raised in the North in Western Pennsylvania this weather especially the summers that seem to start Mid-May or even late April. For me it's the high humidity that starts at this time and seems to last till Christmas and sometimes into January.
By Mark Graham6 months ago in Poets
Between the Lines of Rain —
Rain has always carried a language of its own. For some, it is music, a lullaby for weary souls. For others, it is grief, the sky weeping when words are too heavy to speak. For me, rain has always been a mirror—reflecting not only the world outside but also the storms within.
By Nadeem Shah 6 months ago in Poets
The Language of Falling Leaves
Introduction: When the Trees Begin to Speak Every autumn, when the air turns crisp and the trees begin to shed their leaves, the world transforms into a living poem. Golden, crimson, and amber leaves dance through the air before resting gently on the ground. To many, it’s just a seasonal shift. But if you listen closely, you’ll hear something deeper — the language of falling leaves.
By Nadeem Shah 6 months ago in Poets
Echoes of a Silent Heart
Introduction: The Sound of What We Never Say Silence has its own language. It lingers in the spaces between words, in the pauses where our hearts ache but our voices fail. A silent heart does not mean an empty one—it means a heart that carries longing so heavy it cannot always be spoken aloud.
By Nadeem Shah 6 months ago in Poets
The Hour of a Poet's Heart
The Hour of a Poet’s Heart It was 6:00 a.m. when the first golden thread of sunlight slipped through the windowpane, curling like smoke onto the old wooden desk. The poet sat alone, wrapped in the silence of morning, a mug of steaming tea warming his hand, and a fresh page before him. Outside, the world was still rubbing the sleep from its eyes. A sparrow fluttered to the windowsill, tilting its head as if curious about the words that might fill the paper. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of a kettle whistling, a dog barking, a door opening—all faint echoes of a waking world. But here, in this quiet room, time seemed to slow down. He looked around the space—the familiar desk, smooth with years of use; the clock ticking gently on the wall; the bookshelf heavy with poems, letters, and musings of those who came before. A soft breeze nudged a few amber leaves onto the floor through the slightly open window. This hour belonged to him—an hour where the mind softened and the heart spoke clearly. He dipped his pen into ink and began to write. Not about sorrow or loss, not about people or faces or fleeting love. Today, he wrote of presence. Of light. --- “Let morning not be a routine, But a ritual. Let the sun not simply rise, But return with purpose. May silence not be empty, But full of listening.” --- He paused, letting the words settle into the paper. He watched as the steam from his tea danced gently upward, fading into nothing. A candle flickered beside the notebook, casting a warm circle of gold over his hand. This was the kind of peace that couldn’t be chased. It arrived when you stopped running. His thoughts wandered, not far, but wide. He thought of trees—how they stood patiently, rooted and quiet, teaching something without ever saying a word. He thought of rivers—always moving, yet never rushing. He thought of language itself, how it curved like the hills, how a single line of poetry could open a sky inside a person. He smiled. This wasn’t a day for fame or applause. This wasn’t a day for plans or performances. It was a day for breathing, for noticing, for writing not what others expected but what the soul whispered. The poet turned the page. --- “May we learn from the leaf, How to fall with grace. From the stone, How to stay strong without shouting. And from the dawn, How to begin again— Quietly, gently, every day.” --- The sparrow chirped once and flew away. The clock ticked on. He sipped his tea and let the warmth fill him. He thought of all the people out there—rushing, scrolling, searching. He wished he could send them this hour, wrap it in paper and tie it with light. A gift of stillness, of small wonders. He looked around again, this time with a deeper gratitude. The cracked mug, the ink stains on the desk, the gentle creak of the old chair—each detail a poem in itself. Nothing perfect. Everything beautiful. By 6:45, the light had shifted. The sun now painted golden rectangles on the floor. He could hear footsteps outside, the day beginning in earnest. But still, the hour wasn’t over. He turned to the last page in his notebook and, with a steady hand, wrote a final verse. --- “Do not rush the moment. Do not race the dawn. The poet’s heart beats quietly, But it echoes long after The pen is laid down.” --- The candle flickered once more before going out. At exactly 7:00 a.m., he closed the notebook and stood. The room now brimmed with soft morning light. The world was calling, as it always did—but this time, he was ready. Because in that one hour, without noise, without crowds, without anything but a desk, a window, and the open sky, he had remembered something important: That peace is not found. It is made. Word by word. Hour by hour. Heart by heart.
By Muhammad Saad 6 months ago in Poets
Whispers of Humanity
In a small valley cradled by ancient hills, there was a village where people rarely spoke in haste. Words mattered here. Every sentence was weighed like a stone before it was placed into the river of conversation. This wasn’t due to silence or fear—but reverence. The villagers believed that words, especially those shaped with care, held power. At the heart of the village stood an old tree known as the Listening Oak. Its roots curled like open hands, and its branches reached skyward as if it were in constant prayer. Beneath it, once a week, the villagers gathered for the “Evening of Whispers,” a tradition as old as the village itself. On these evenings, people recited poetry—written by themselves, their ancestors, or passed down through memory—each verse shared like a seed planted in the soil of community. Lina, a quiet girl of sixteen, had always attended but never spoken. She loved the way words danced in the air during the gatherings, how an old man’s rough voice could carry a tender truth, or a child’s scribbled rhyme could soften hearts hardened by time. She carried a leather-bound notebook everywhere, scribbling poems no one had seen. Her mother, Mira, once the most eloquent poet of the village, had lost her voice years ago after Lina’s father died in a mining accident. Mira hadn’t spoken since. She sat each week beneath the Listening Oak, eyes bright with unspoken memories, hands resting on her lap like unopened books. One golden autumn evening, the Evening of Whispers began like all others. The breeze was gentle, the air sweet with fallen leaves, and the lanterns flickered as villagers took turns speaking their truths. A boy read about losing his pet bird and the freedom it might now enjoy in the skies. A woman recited a lullaby written by her grandmother. An elder shared a haiku about the ache of growing old. As the night deepened, silence fell. Then, for the first time, Lina stood up. Her knees trembled, but she held her notebook like a shield and walked to the base of the tree. People turned to watch, their expressions gentle but curious. She opened her notebook, cleared her throat, and read: > “We are made of breath and brokenness, And yet we bloom. In silence, we carry stories That wait for the wind.” Her voice quivered, but she continued: > “I have watched my mother Speak without words Sing in her silence And teach me the language Of listening.” People stilled. The breeze hushed as if the world leaned in. > “Let us not forget That pain, when spoken, Can become a bridge. And poetry— Poetry is how we walk across.” She closed her notebook. For a moment, all was still. Then—soft clapping. A gentle rustle of approval. Some nodded, others wiped quiet tears. But Lina looked only at her mother. Mira, still silent, had risen to her feet. Her eyes shimmered, and for the first time in years, her lips parted. A breath. Then a word: “Thank you.” Gasps rippled through the crowd. Not for drama—but for the quiet miracle of a voice returning home. From that night on, Lina’s poems became a thread in the tapestry of the village’s tradition. Her voice, once hidden, helped others find theirs. Mira didn’t speak often, but she began to hum old songs, and when she did, others would join in. Years later, people would still tell the story of the girl who whispered truth beneath the Listening Oak and reminded them that poetry isn’t just for beauty—it’s for healing, for remembering, for becoming whole again. And every time a new voice rose in the circle, someone would smile and say, “Another whisper of humanity.”
By Muhammad Saad 6 months ago in Poets
