The most predictable thing about life is probably its unpredictability, at every bend, at every turning new challenges, new obstacles, new surprises greet us; a new world awaits us; a chance happening can change the whole course of our lives...Serendipity


A Bird's Saga

Every flower smelt so sweet
Air was fresh with morning dew,
Every sunrise brought a hope,
With sunshine spirits rose,
Every day had its innocent charm,
An Arion*, he sang the sweetest of songs,
The moon shown with a soothing light,
The firmament with stars was bright,
Aeolus* was its God and Lord,
Ariel* was its friend,
Life was carefree
Exciting, full of promise...

Then came a change,
The bird was caged:
There was suffocation,
There was torture,
There was burning,
There was scorching,
The sun was too hot,
The moon too pale,
The days forlorn,
The nights too stale...

But one day it broke the chains,
The bird was free,
The cage empty...

It flew and flew,
Till it was weary,
The wound did hurt,
The blood did trickle,
It flew and flew,
It gave up not...

Slowly the wound did heal

The spring came back,
It found new strength

There was peace & quiet again,
Quiet, but very quiet,
Lulling it to sleep...

Suddenly a melody,
A sweet disturbing melody:
The sun became bright again,
Star shone in its eyes
Raindrops kissed its cheeks,
Moonlit night played a nocturne sweet,
A storm broke forth,
Passion filled days and nights...

The bird soared high,
Very high,
Alas! Too high,
An Icarus* in the sky,
Too close to the Sun,
The swan song was sung...
Now it lies at the bottom of Aegean Sea,
Waiting for the next Tsunami*...
An Aeneas*, hoping for resurrection!



Author: Zoya Zaidi
Aligarh (UP), India
Copyright©: Zoya Zaidi


*Arion: (7thc BC) legendary Greek poet and musician of Lesbos who had mastered the dithyramb; A legend has it that when sailors on a ship tried to drown him he was saved by a Dolphin who had been attracted to his singing.
* Aeolus: the Greek legendary God of the winds.
* Ariel: the carefree, airy spirit of Shakespeare's play Tempest
* Icarus: son of Deadalus, who in escaping from the prison of Crete, on artificial wings made by his father, flew too close to the sun so that the wax that fastened his wings melted and he fell into the Aegean Sea.
* Tsunami, the giant wave, which swept away more then 250,000 in Banda Aceh, Philippines, East coast of India, and SriLanka, also unearthed in its wake many temples and other ancient monuments, which had long ago drowned under the sea: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4136781.stm
* Aeneas: The wandering hero of Virgil's Aeneid (a Latin hexameter epic poem), after years of wanderings, went to the underworld to meet his dead father Anchises; came out to lead the Romans and become the founder of the Roman Estate.




Poetry by Zoya Zaidi
Read 1278 times
Written on 2006-02-17 at 12:23

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John Ashleigh
Veld coopers' comment is very agreeable, I think this is more than a powerful chant.

Brilliant effort and top credibility to ya'.

xxxx John
2006-02-28


Teala
This gave me chills on many different levels, the sheer beauty on one hand--and my love for mythology, watching these people come even more alive though your words--bravo!
2006-02-22


Peter
So beautiful!! It makes one feel free and makes one understand that freedom is not always for free... really darn good I think...

To be free we all have to fly hurt sometimes...

hugs to you Zoya
2006-02-19


Marie
"Suddenly a melody,
A sweet disturbing melody"

I can hear the melody, so wonderful sang in your poem...disturbing? this one is not :)
glorious write, Zoya!
2006-02-18


UnforgivenAngel
wow,i really love this one,its beautifull.
2006-02-18


Natalie
"A sweet disturbing melody:
The sun became bright again,
Star shone in its eyes
Raindrops kissed its cheeks,
Moonlit night played a nocturne sweet,
A storm broke forth,
Passion filled days and nights..."

Beautiful!
2006-02-17


Veld Cooper
Lovely theme and exploration of freedom and imprisonment. Abeutiful text again, dear Zoya!
2006-02-17


Rik The PoetBay support member heart!
Yet another enchanting piece. Such skill in the art of verse. And i get to brush up on my greek mythology.
2006-02-17


lastromantichero The PoetBay support member heart!
wow Zoya your skills are so good this is awesome rgds mike
2006-02-17