Come back to me
Can you return?
The seconds are stuck
They haven’t danced since your departure
Will you come back?
Please, come back to me
The basil tree has withered
It needs you too
Not just me
Come back to me
I promise I won’t ask for things
Nor ask for too many outings
Just you, come back
And I’ll be by your side
I’ll cook food
And prepare tea, for sure
Your cup will have extra sugar
And I’ll iron your clothes
Just come back
We all need you
How selfish I am
I wish you’d return from your journey
After even the dogs betrayed you
Even after you became a meal for them
So I developed a phobia of dogs
A phobia of loss
And of everything painful
But my friend
You were my safety
And now I am utterly lost
You were my support
And now all the walls around me are broken
What can I do?
Longing is painful
And loss is agonizing
What can I do?
I will wish patience for my heart
And a happy journey for you, my dear
And eternal misery for me
✍️ Ameera Atiya Abu Al-Hussein
2/7/2025
