Her heart aflutter, the little dove,
eyes large and alive.
Alert to the brightness, the noise, the drive
of the city’s comings and goings
outside her window.
Underneath her veil was a mystery to most,
but within these walls,
I saw her soul.
We ate, we laughed,
I beat her at cards and drank too much tea.
We listened to liberal Lebanese music
while dancing the Khaleegi in our socks.
It’s “just as home”
she would say
“please come visit me again”.
And time escaped me out in the world
where so many other things were happening.
Leaving I cried for my little dove,
a fragile bird,
alone.
Outside her walls her heart would flutter,
Her eyes would widen
And her smile would be covered.