2.
it was under the tutelage of a strict task master
that his language, mannerisms, and expanding knowledge
became servants of his flourishing beauty
his words were unscathed pearls
that emerged without breaking the oyster’s shell
his actions,
the illumination of these jewels
reflecting the soul concealed within
but even he had to take pause
when she appeared
the new student,
daughter of another clan
as she walked,
it seemed as if the earth moved
to place itself under her feet
she floated about
with the flowing grace of an uplifting flower
her eyes could see,
with a penetrating innocence,
through all the veils that cover the soul
she could render the whole universe
into complete defeat
with a simple glance
or the bat of her eyelash
her face was the true moon,
the only moon,
abiding in unrelenting perfection
a fullness that would not recede
and this perfection was beautifully contrasted
by the dark depths of her hair
the silk strands woven with he perfect luster
of a raven’s wing
her only blemish,
if such a word is apt,
was the mole placed perfectly
on her naturally ruby-tinted cheek
to use the word again:
for him,
she was the perfect
the perfection of perfection
the climax of creation manifest
when the teacher asked her to say her name
oh, the perfection of perfection again:
“layla”
how perfect
the name means “night”
and with just the utterance of that
qays’ days turned into an infinite ecstatic night
wherein the stars of her presence
made resplendent the celestial expanse of his heart
he was rendered naked before her
happily with nothing to hide
although he didn’t know why
from their first encounter
their destiny began to unfold
sitting in groups of three and four
layla was placed in the same group as qays
overcome by her presence,
the teacher’s instructions were an unwanted
distraction to him
“the dignity of bedouins is our unfailing manners
and manners are part of the language of etiquette
these may seem to be trivial things,
but they are not:
these are what distinguish the people of order
from desert brutes
“so here,
with the tea
when you are poured a full cup
that means you are welcomed and can stay
so let the hosts pour full cups for your guests,
and to the brim if you really like them”
oh, fate could not wait to unveil its dance
qays, the host of his group,
looked at layla
she was his most cherished guest
what brim could contain the limit of his adoration
he set his brim to the seventh heaven
and let the tea flow
and flow it did,
over the cup’s edge
but he was oblivious to the liquid spilling over,
he was entranced by her smile
and her by his
until a chastising voice exclaimed
“qays, what are you doing”
his glance to the teacher
was only brief enough to end
the waterfall of tea
the children’s laughter was a distant echo
part of the background that did not concern him
there was nothing more important
than the ever-deepening night into which he stared
in which he felt himself disappearing
the only thing that kept him from vanishing
was her returning gaze
which reflected her soul into his
all was lost within the beauty of her eyes
yet somehow he still heard the teacher
as the next set of instructions was given
“pouring a cup halfway
is a polite way of signaling to the other party
that it is time for them to leave
so hosts,
even if you just poured them a full cup,
pour your guests a half cup
so they can move on to another group”
the other hosts proceeded
to pour half-filled cups to their guests
but nothing in the universe
could compel qays to do so to layla
those eyes,
the endless depth of the night
a moment spent elsewhere
would prove to be too much
she had to stay
so he could remain entrapped within her spell
he poured and placed before her
another cup
filled perfectly to the brim
another student’s commentary was only half-heard
but rang completely true
“teacher, i think qays is in love”
yes,
in love
drowning in the ocean of her
before he knew his breath
could be completely taken away
the whole of his being
placed completely within her hands
before he realized he could extend himself that far
and she too,
a victim of this whispering whirlwind
that spontaneously unfolded of its own accord
they had no chance to abstain
from drinking this cup filled
which seemed to never empty
no thought or forewarning
as the nectar poured down their throats
only intoxication
only two children inebriated
by a force that would fall the strongest
of discerning adults
bearing sober hearts of stone
love
so together
they each drowned in the fragrance of this flower
knowing and yet not knowing
the other was also in love
they even ceased to know themselves
submerging deeper and deeper
into a magical unspoken intimacy
day by day,
minute by minute,
breath by breath
falling deeper into the other’s heart
which was somehow within their own heart
they were consumed in oneness
and without anyone else noticing
for who would suspect that such young children
could fall so deep in love
that such beautiful innocence
could be so ensnared
in enigmas that usually reserved their hunting
for maturing youth and adults
while children play
and toil their minds with the stuff of learning
lovers drown
in the unteachable lessons of endearment
how to caress you when my hand is still afar
how to know what cannot be known
and yet know
there is something
upon which we impose
the name “love”
an unfolding mystery that overshadows
what is obvious
an older qays would later write:
“oh layla, know
though the etiquette of bedouins declareth
that a cup poured half full means
the time of departure hath arrived
when my cup i pour before thee
i cannot help but fill it beyond the brim
every single time
“may our time of departure never arrive
may eternity truly never have an end
just as thou never came
but ‘here’ always was, is,
and forever will be
“we merely found each other in each other
in the shadow of the school yard
a timeless dwelling of togetherness always existing
underneath the teacher’s gaze realized”
❍ ● ❍