I HONESTLY KNOW, CHILD

I KNOW, CHILD... All night long, I will keep wondering why you are bound not to ask why, Why the huge smile from my heart, Why the bliss, the secret peace whose slap will always come strong? Why the worry, Though miles away, Any time wrinkles of sadness forms in your gorgeous face, Or when the slap of the world, Leaves a bruise in your heart, Why mine shadow now cares so much about the sly wind, So it might not suddenly blow your way, And leave you a mark, So it will steal the warmth, And deny you the peace of the heart, Emily. *** In-between the syllables of this poem, Mine soul keeps embracing a stranger, An alien whose shadow I have sniffed, Wrestled with numerous bargains… Of the worries that come with the distance, the space between an aging man and his beloved Emily, that keeps growing unfriendly each minute… Yet I know you wouldn’t ask why I will even sacrifice the atonements, Skip the feasts, and prefer the silent moments, Wiping away tears from imaginary eyes, Lighting the candles, So the blanket of night, Will not cover your rays of hope, And make you cry! *** “I am more than ready, though,” says his shadow, Inside- It knows it will be a bed of roses and thorns, Innocent laughter of her great eyes, Its pleasing echo, That will ring in the ears of its heart for ages: Inside-It knows even if she dares not to shun its humble gesture, It will be so long a journey, With cordial embraces, coldest handshakes, There will be times so hard, Grandpa, You will wish you were never set forth; So, you will cry and cry and cry, Fall into the arms of fate, Recalling those would-be indispensable minutes, Yearning for those moments, Yet another retreat, To where you are bound to start from, Inside- It knows – so you should, Emily. The fierce army in-waiting will be there, Slowly engaging in a conspiracy, To bring demise to your would-be joyous days, So strong they will come, With subtle, unkind tell-tales, But inside, It knows, your love will be bold, Fenced with a fabric of passion, coated with a firm volition Of never despairing! You will go past the obstacles, the darkest of the moments, Through the narrowness of lady luck, Abreast the inner passion, That will fight for your love, You will together untie the knot of pessimism, And wear the white robe, Plausible ray of light, In the depths of darkness! © Cheruo Levi Cheptora