3.
how often is the blossoming of love
immersed in bliss
yet seasons of blossoms
are limited in time
are virgin lovers,
lost in the innocence of youth,
keen to these facts
and the fact that
as love’s luminosity illumines
it casts shadows upon the landscape
from which the flower blossoms rise
such is a torment of love
among a humanity that proclaims to
but does not truly honor love
rare are those who are
oblivious to torment,
even within the ecstasy of bliss
and the bliss of love enlivens beauty
as in his heart,
the night was unveiling
into a night of a million glorious nights
it was incomprehensible to qays
how layla could become even more beautiful
but he was not the only one to become dumbstruck
by her emerging grace
even other boys began
to adore the wonder of layla
he noticed
how they would vie for just a glance from her
with something unbecoming in their eyes
to witness others staring at her lustfully
put a tint of sourness
in the sweet taste of his devotion to her
within the writhing bitterness of his arising jealousy
it mattered not
that layla was no less committed to him
to qays,
another’s gaze was an intrusion
upon what should be only
the sky of his night
in his eyes,
“their” presence was encroaching upon
a celestial freedom already hampered by
the restrictions of childhood
which limited how these young lovers
could explore and express
the mystery of love
although they sought refuge in discreetness
whereby to breathe the expanse of love’s enveloping
it felt as if the whole world
turned their probing eyes upon them
“their” looks, “their” desires, “their” agendas
found out every secret place they sought
“their” whispers, though uttered quietly,
were loud and profound
“qays and layla are in love...”
“qays is layla’s passion slave...”
“their love is only childish infatuation...”
“how long before one breaks the other’s heart...”
and so on
their every shared look
seemed to garner another gossip
and his jealousy only intensified
within the haze of the murmurs
whether together or separate
there was no abating the spying eyes
and viscous tongues
that let forth endless arrows
upon the prey of these naive young lovers
when every action and non-action
left them more exposed to these relentless hunters
what protection could be found
to turn away “their” eyes
or shut “their” mouths
or even find a space away from “them”
they were attacked for simply loving their beloved
the young lovers’ lack of understanding of love
only added to the confusion
thus, the grave dangers surrounding them
were not realized
until the predators were upon the prey
within an unescapable death grip
the weight of the burden fell more heavily upon him
when they were together
they became an easy target for the hunt
yet when he stayed away,
to spare her from such attacks,
his heart shattered into a thousand fragments
again and again
there was no peace to be found
in this inescapable chase
and due to his sensitivity
every breath within this pursuit
bore deep, unhealing wounds
each step and pause became
a more increasing strain
until finally
something broke loose
and became completely severed...
it was as if qays was falling to the ground
to never hit the ground
and yet somehow he kept falling toward
that same ground
in perpetual motion
within this endless plummet
something seized him
until he found himself immersed within
an unrelenting madness
it permeated everything he was
and even overcame everything he sought to be
until
the madness prevailed
and the young qays became a majnuun
(a madman)
there was no peace, no escape
no sense of equilibrium
within this ceaseless falling
the things of this world
became completely irrelevant
the only thing of any worth was only layla
and yet even being with her
did not cease the falling
or calm the breaking of his heart
or restore any semblance of sanity
to his wounded mind
the intensity of this destiny
only drove him into
an ever-deepening madness
as the din of the hunters’ attacks increased
so too did his urge
to proclaim his praise for layla
embracing an extremity by which
he refused to hold anything back
he took to a nearby mount
and wailed forth a testimony
for all the world to hear
“the moon i follow into a teardrop
because the candle of this flame
within the two worlds no longer fits
thy face i see
even in the drought of thine absence
thou art my sight
because thou art all i see
“oh layla,
give me the moon of thy bosom
so i am not left blinded
to grope haphazardly
within this gripping dark”
these words,
echoing throughout the town,
caught the attention of her father
and when he looked at her
disturbed with concern
she hid the subtle smile
that indulged her lover’s flatteries
but the damage had been done
as laughter arose throughout the town
her father felt scorned by the hunters’ revelry
in his eyes,
such public spectacle
brought shame upon his kin
this beautiful girl
whom he was raising with modest care
would now surely be featured and ridiculed
among the roving gossips
how could he idly stand by
as a majnuun made his cherished daughter
a romantic plaything
fondled publicly with adulterous words
yet this madman was the son of as-sayyid
so a sword hungry for blood
could not be the first remedy
instead the family chose
to starve her from his presence
keeping her at home and carefully guarded
to not even allow a sight of her
to meet his forbidden eyes
perhaps this forced fast
would turn the hunger of his insanity
toward another meal
or devour itself
yet for layla
her loyalties were torn
between her family and her beloved
during the day she maintained a stoic face
of indifference
but at night, when alone,
her eyes flooded streams of loneliness
craving only her beloved
her cherished qays,
even if he had become
a majnuun
❍ ● ❍