POETIC REVIVAL

Leave the tears for last for now all I need is solace or silence No need for profundity You can sit by me  In unity  against this grave peril Wa can pretend  We’re having coffee on my porch  Talking about politics  Or cars Let’s forget for a moment  These are vailed goodbyes  Let’s reminisce  About our childhood  That seems so long ago  It may have been  A myth  Remind me that once  We were young and brave  Care free,  generous Let’s not talk about regrets  There may be too many  Don't make waiting  More unpleasant  By forced cheer  Hold my hand So I can feel your love  For all that matters now  Is love. 

You can walk in my shoes Only to get chafed feet You still won’t know where I’ve been. You say you understand, Yet you start every sentence With the word “but”. You sympathize But it’s harder to Empathize. To make me feel better You minimize my pain, But the pain becomes sharper. Sometimes silence Speaks louder Than empty words. So don’t say a word, Listen, hear the anguish, Look in the depth of misery, Accept that sometimes Another's torment is Incomprehensible.

 Grave of my favorite Armenian poet Vahan Derian Yerevan Armenia  Life is beautiful, I know With the sun rising  And glorious sunsets Ending each day Alas, I want to go away. The sunshine on my face feels good  The sky is so blue and vast  I’ll never tire looking at it But I want to melt away. There are those whom I love so I can hold them forever in my eyes  I know I will hurt them most Yet I want to slip away  I love babies and kittens  The rain and the snow I love flowers and green rivers Shiny apples and butterflies  I Still want to fade away Everything around is painful to see   humanity is in misery  so many die senselessly  Compassion is lost Human rights are trampled on No heroes around  No divine intervention  No miracles left  I just want to go away. Let the sun shine brightly  Let the moon be immense and near The oceans can make music  with crashing waives  the birds can sing love songs All day

It takes a long time to become self aware Just to know where you are in life To know who you are,  Where you came from And where your headed.  You ask yourself  Whats my mission, my goal, Must I have one? Is it worth to strive for To spend my lifetime on? At some point in your journey  You discover  There are oceans of knowledge to learn Will you have time, should you even try? There is no rational answer. At first, it seems finding love is a child’s play Then after countless heartbreaks You stop looking, hoping Or you settle. Then the questions become more urgent, Whats the most fundamental factor in life? What values are paramount? Will I find them? Do I need them? If I find my answers? Will that make me happy? Am I happy? Am I fulfilled? Who said happiness is important? Can I be happy when millions are miserable? Why do humans exist? Is there a divine purpose? What will our end be? It ta

I feel like crying… I am crying… I could cry forever & ever until I die. My heart heavy with pain  Breaking,  for the children Of  Syria Yemen  Iraq South Sudan For all children in war torn countries across the world. Children lost Children orphaned  Bombed, drowned,  Killed, starved. I cry for countless mothers  Who lost their babes, I cry for fathers  Who lost their sons, Their daughters, Their lives. I could cry forever and ever For women and girls  Tortured  Maimed Burned Raped  I cry. I cry For humanity For brutality of people  Against the weak The disabled  The innocent. Where is the fury of men? Where is the wrath of God? I cry for men For women And God.

I loved you all once. I hate you all now. I won't, I  can’t,  go back  To the innocent self I was then, Loving, forgiving, benevolent. You were wolves in sheep’s clothing. You abused my love And injected hate in my heart. I needed your love then, But I don’t need it anymore. I don’t need you anymore For anything. You are insignificant, irrelevant,  Dead to me now. I don’t want your kisses, I don’t want your hellos You can say goodbye forever. Now I am whole I don’t need you anymore.

I heard a sweet sound  it was my old mothers’ voice, a glimmer of happiness shone but alas it was a dream. As a tender melody played  I remembered my childhood days, I felt my mother’s kiss  But it was just a dream. She embraced me with much longing As she wiped my misty eyes,  But my tears would not stop Ah why was it just a dream. Poem written by S. Shahaziz Translated from Armenian By  Armineh  Amirian  Zohrabian January  26, 201 8