Category: nature

True to my soul

~ Layla ~ Leave a comment
17/04/2024

In this trouble world of

Constant noise
Constant delusion
Constant confusion

Selling this
Stealing that
Sealing us

Into beings that consume.
Into beings that are consumed.

By greed
By belongings.
By plastic.

In this world —-

Can you still listen to that melody?
Can you still listen to that song?
Can you still listen to that silence?

That only belongs to you.

A song,
A hymn
A sign.

None but you can hear it.
None but you can decipher it.
None but you can own it.

Own that voice,

As it lingers
As it grows
As it flies…

Beyond your reach.
Beyond their reach

Beyond…

Honor it.
Enrich it.
Believe it.

It’s your own treasure.
It’s your own essence.
It’s your own scent.

Some may hear echoes
of their own heartbeat.

Some may see shadows
of their own selves.

Some may breathe hints
of their own breath.

And in this invisible web
we are connected.

And in this ethereal web
we are connected.

And in this timeless web
we are connected.

In your breath
In my breath
We are connected.

In our presence
In our authenticity
In our oneness.

Far from the turmoil
Far from the torments
Far from the torrents

of modernity.
of monstrosity. 
of mummery.

We remain true to ourselves.
You remain true to your heart.
I remain true to my soul.

My step never faltering

~ Layla ~ Leave a comment 
All my songs are about the path
All my sighs are about the path
All my steps are on this path

Whirling
Winding
Wandering

Seasons flitting by
Years rushing by
Faces fading by

My step never faltering.

Smiling, as I say goodbye.
Teary eyed, as I say welcome.
Breathless as I grow new lungs.

Ever changing
Ever breathing
Ever growing.

Dear brother
Dear sister
Dear friend

Are you close?
Are you here?
Are you lost?

I can still hear you.

My step never faltering

I cannot linger
I cannot wander
I cannot turn back.

They told me in a dream
They told me in a song
They told me in a story

About the dangers of turning back.

And yet,

I keep your words in my heart.
I keep your smiles in my heart.
I keep your heartbeat in my heart.

This new home I build
This new life I weave.
This new path I cleave.

I carry it on my back.
It carries me on its back.

A home that grows with me.
A home that walks with me
A home that changes with me.

My step never faltering.

Your echoes guide me
Your echoes gladden me.
Your echoes call me.

Will you forget me?
Will I forget you?
Will we cross path again?

I hope
I pray
I know

In this world or the next,

Kindred souls
Loving souls
Compassion souls

Always find each other again.

On we go
On and on we go.

Our steps never faltering.

Speck of Dust

~ Layla ~ Leave a comment
31/08/23
Time can erase
Canyons of anguish

Time can ease
Valleys of sadness

Time can appease
Oceans of loss.

How easily each continent forgot…

The wear and tear,
The erupting crust,
The burning forests.

After all,

Nothing is created
Nothing is lost
Everything is transformed.

From ashes, fuel.
From fuel, fumes.
From pain, wisdom.

Forever spinning around the sun,
Forever greeting the full moon,
Forever clinging to this system.

Forever until time…

Holds still.
Crashes down.
Rises up.

And we are free from this yoke.

Seasons dance away.
Days whirl away.
Waves cower away.

Only to return.

And that thread remains,
Doesn’t it?

And that connection remains,
Doesn’t it?

And those memories remain,
Don’t they?

But what do they mean to you?
But what do they mean to me?

Ask the Grand canyon about
How mighty used to be the Colorado river.

Ask the Appalachians about
How close was the Caledonian range.

As the continents about
How safe Pangea felt.

Ages pass by
Seconds trickle by.
Lifetimes fade by.

And what is left of those times of closeness?

– That illusion –

Scars like ridges, mountains and summits
Dark circles like steep slope edges
Shadows like volcanic ashes

Spreading
Scattering
Fading

Who remembers Tambora’s destruction, anymore?

Other than the mountains,
Other than the oceans
Other than the fossils?

Frozen in time.
Stolen in time.
Beholden in time.

Yet,

We are not set in amber.
We are not buried in ashes.
We are not covered in dirt.

Our limbs are free,
Our foliage is bright,
Our sap is fast.

We are given seasons.

To live,
To mourn
To forget,
To remember.

To live, again.

Renewed
Transformed
Reborn.

But,
What of the past?

Those leftover of supernovas,
Who create new solar systems.

Those ashes of forgotten creatures,
Who feed those ever growing trees.

Those sunken mountains,
Who harbor precious metals.

Weaving the past into the future.
Weaving the future back to the past.

Interwoven
Interlaced  
Interchanged.

What will remain, tell me?

Of those fleeting feelings –
Of those lingering senses –
Of those fading ghosts –

What will be forgotten, tell me?

I see you clearly now.

A speck of dust.
A melacnholy thistle.
A dust of gold.

Nothing much to hold
but enough to speculate.

And yet,
Unforgettable.

Wastelands
Forgotten lands,
Sinking lands.

Let them vanish.

Let a new world rise.
Let a new days rise.
Let a new star rise.

So bright
So warm
So earnest

Blinding us to the past.

Patience, my dear

~ Layla ~ Leave a comment
22/08/23
They say summer will never end.
They say this heat will never end
They say this this wait will never end

But I've seen my friendly robin.
But I've heard my loyal robin.
But I've felt my gentle robin

He told me,

Autumn is in the air.

The flaking oak
The drooping aspen
The wilting hazelnut

Have told me,

Autumn is in the air.

My tired limbs
My heavy head
My thirsty skin

Have told me

Autumn is in the air.

And yet,
This heat keeps on growing

Like a baking pie
Like a deadly disease
Like a scalding punishment.

Another almost cool dawn
Another balmy morning
Another sweltering afternoon.

They call it a dome of heat

Doomsday, rather.

The grass is scorched
The earth is scarred 
The forest is scattering…

Limb after limb
Leaf after leaf
Tendril after tendril.

Before a wildfire can reach them.

Another not yet warm breeze before the roaring oven of afternoon.

Don't forget,

Water for the plants
Water for our hands
Water for the birds.

Water, 

Every precious droplet,
Like diamonds.
Every healing drop,
Like pearls.
Every  surviving moist,
Like gold.

This is our season of waiting,
My love 

Soon,
Autumn will come.

Soon,
The heat will subside.

Soon,
Our hands will be joined.

Until then,

We must cling to a cooling hope,
We must cling to a shady rest.
We must cling to a breezy prayer.

That we may see the end of this scalding summer.

That we may reach that next step of fulfillment. 

That we may reach that cabin in the woods.

And pray,

The fire doesn't reach us.
Impatience doesn't mislead us.
Fatigue doesn't overwhelm us.

Patience,
My dear.

The return of the gardener

~ Layla ~ Leave a comment
02/08/23
The wolves are back.

Roaming
Perusing
Owning

Knowing no borders.

Lock your doors,
Close your shutters,
Draw your curtains,

And let them roam…

As that brave soul steps into a new world.

Beyond the sea
Beyond the mountains
Beyond the woods

How far he has walked.

Never to turn back
Never to run back
Never to look back.

It's destiny;

Written in that Book
Written in that hand
Written in that horizon.

That land he has crossed into
That land he has been invited into
That land he has set camp into

Was once so lush
Was once so green
Was once so fragrant.

Oh so very wild!
Oh so very pure!
Oh so very fresh!

A sight to behold!
A sight to cherish!
A sight to protect!

Vulnerable
Free
Pristine.

But it was discovered…

By the wrong eyes.
By the wrong heart.
By the wrong hands.

Pillaged.
Emptied.
Sullied.

Until that magical kingdom was bereft of its beauty.

The invaders left
The usurpers left
The pirates left.

Autumn covered the earth
Winter swept through the woods
Spring sprinkled the fields
Summer flourished across the orchards.

Once
Twice.

Will they return?

Fear in the mist
Ghosts in the marshes
Memories in the ponds.

A newcommer.
A wayfare
A stranger

Will he destroy?

The land was quiet.
The kingdom was bare.
The fields were waiting.

Tendrils after tendrils
Pebbles after pebbles
Drops after drops

He gave new life to this silent land.

No conqueror here

A gardener
A tender
A protector

Of all this is fair
Of all that is pure
Of all that is gold.

Lest my heart drowns

~ Layla ~ Leave a comment
21/02/23

There is a balance in nature
There is a balance in my heart
There is a balance in our existence

Today,
I sowed a bulb
I discarded dead leaves.

Today
I cast off a dream
I planted a prayer.

Today,
We trembled with deadly anguish
We took a deep calming breath.

How does the world not collapse?

When there is so much joy?
When there is so much horror?
When there its so much magma?

Bubbling and breaking through
Burning and seeping through
Melting and rising through

Breaking the crust of the earth
Breaking the hearts of humans
Breaking the heart of cities

And leaving only rubbles
And leaving only silence
And leaving only dust

And terrible cold
And terrible hunger
And terrible wounds

Will they ever heal?

My heart shivers
My soul rises
My thoughts stagger

And yet, here I am…

In a peaceful land
In a yet standing house
In a thriving city.

What will happen tomorrow?

Only the Creator knows
Only the Destructor knows
Only the Transformer knows.

He,
Who gives us life.

He.
Who takes us back.

He.
Who changes our state.

My loss are but pebbles to theirs.
My pain is but a shadow to theirs
My longing is but a whisper to theirs.

How can I complain?

And yet, 
He litens.

And yet,
He gibes.

And yet.
He guides.

He is always here.

And none of my words can express
And none of my words can encompass
And none of my words can capture

Who He is.

Even the words I use now
Even the pronouns I use now
Even the attributes I use now

Are limited.

And I call myself a poet…

How can I express what my souls see?
How can I express what my heart perceives?
How can I express what my mind cannot touch?

Do you hear Him
Do you feel Him
Do you see Him

In my words?

Or are they just empty utterance
Or are they just clever delusions
Or are they hollow sentiments

Do they mean something?

And yet I try…

To draw from the well of my soul
To call from the depth of my heart
To reach beyond the limits of my being

To find some balance.

And with words,

Create a rhythm
Create a lullaby
Create a litany 

To keep me sane.
To keep me calm
To keep me balanced.

Lest my heart drowns me in despair.

Who are you?

~ Layla ~ Leave a comment
15/02/23
There’s a mirror in front of me
There’s an echo around me

Reflecting back my own self
Echoing back my own words…

With a hint of something else.

Hello !?
 Is there’s someone out there?

Someone that I understand
Someone who understands me
Someone like me.

Oh that looks so familiar.
Oh that sounds so familiar.
It must be home.

I hold out my hands
I open my arms
And I hold for dear life.

Finally.

And the dream fades away
And the ghost slips away
And the  apparition runs away.

Leaving me scattered.
Leaving me northless
Leaving me breathless.

Filled with questions…

Who are you?

When you are not pleasing someone.
When you are not echoing someone.
When you are not mirroring someone?

Who are you?

When you are not hiding yourself
When you are not painting yourself.
When you are not imagining yourself?

Who are you?

Questions
Echoes
Silence.

You don’t even know.
You don’t even wonder.
You don’t even dare.

And yet,

There’s a spark.
There’s a whisper.
There’s a rhythm

In your heartbeat
In your gaze
In your soul

That mesmerizes me.

Who are you?

When you are not behind a screen.
When you are not lost in translation.
When you are not behind a smart quote.

Who are you?

Intrigued,
The cat is trapped.

Intrigued,
The bird is caged.

Intrigued,
The wolf is killed.

All that remains is…

A fur-less creature
A skin-less nymph
A coat-less beast.

Still,

Feathers can grow back
Fur can grow back.
Skin can grow back.

Regenerate.

And a soul is indestructible. 

Grow
Glow
Go

On and on.

But what of those

Whose souls are tainted
Whose souls are lost
Whose souls are torn

What of those poor souls?

Who are you?
Without knowing your soul.

Who are you?
Without cleaning your soul.

Who are you?
Without mending your soul.

May you find healing.
May you find safety.
May you find peace…

With the Creator.

Who knows my soul.
Who knows your soul.
Who knows our end.

Here’s to you, little girl

~ Layla ~ Leave a comment
25/01/23
Truth to be told

I always knew I was too odd
I always knew I was too old
I always knew I was too bold

At their age, I was already my age.
At our age, I am already their age.

But my body doesn’t know…

She calls for the mundane rituals of life…

Birth and death
Love and desire
Death and birth

She asks,
She begs,
She craves,

For what all humans have-
For what all humans experience.
For what all humans know.

And yet I do not know.
And yet I do not experience.
And yet I do not have,

Patience,
I tell her.

Oblivion,
I tell her.

Circumvent,
i tell her.

We do not belong to those ranks,
We do not belong to those humans
We do not belong to those creatures.

Our path is different…

You know that,
my dear body.

You know that,
my dear heart.

You know that,
my dear mind.

Our path was always different.

We always belonged more
To the ethereal than the real.

We always belonged more,
To the invisible than the visible.

We always belonged more
To the infinite rather than the finite.

I was already gone.
I was already beyond.
I was already far away.

Before coming to that state.

Why mourn for that loss –
When you always knew.

Why crave for that dream –
When it was never yours.

Why long for that life –
When it never could be your destiny.

Glide over
Fly over
Scatter over

Those ashes.

I always knew,
Didn’t I?

I always felt it,
Didn’t I?

I always smelled it,
Didn’t I?

That I could not take those normal steps.
That I could not open that boring old door.
That I could not reach that simple cabin.

My path was to wind into the forest.
My path was to ascend to the summits.
My paths was to take me to such heights…

Without any effort
But acceptance.

Without any struggle
But acceptance

Without any loss
But acceptance.

How light I feel
How bright I feel
How soft I feel

Beyond their reach.

More than peace
More than ecstasy 
More than love

Like a robin puffing in the cold
Like a sparrow winging through the storm
Like a nightingale singing in the silence

Something with feathers
Something ever fleeting
Something so very small

True liberty.

Here’s to you,
Little girl.

Here’s to you,
brave woman.

Here’s to you,
Unconquerable lady.

wandering on that path

that never fails
that never halts
that never falters.

Up that hill – you survived

~ Layla ~ Leave a comment
18/12/22
Up that hill
Up that rock
Up that summit

beyond that winding way
beyond that slithering path
beyond that trailing trail

there are whispers under the pine trees
there are roses under the cedar trees
there are ghosts under swiss mountain pines

If you go up there

You cab lose your way
You can lose your heart
You can lose your years

and wander,
wander and wander.

Until it’s too late to go back.
Until it’s too late to save yourself.
Until it’s too late to keep all your pieces.

Shedding each hope
like leaves.

Dreams trickling down
like rivulets.

Illusion drifting by
like high altitude sickness.

Have you lost your mind?
Have you lost your heart?
Have you lost your soul?

There’s a creature lurking by…

Is it headless?
Is it heartless?
Is it handless?

Something is missing.

But all you can see are

images of a perfect life.
Words of true love.
Quintessence of hope.

Something you try to grasp

But you stumble
But you grumble
But you crumble

Like a snow castle.

It’s so cold now
It’s so silent now
It’s so bright now

The moon reflecting in that white snow.

So bright,
Like big teeth

So bright,
Like a big bite.

So bright,
Like a sinister smile.

There’s no escape anymore…

Count your fingers
Count your toes
Count your hopes

Is it still all there?

And turn back,
and turn around,
And turn down,

And run… Like in that that song.

And run… Like in that saying.

And run… Like in that  poem.

Run for your life
Run for your heart
Run for your sanity.

And treasure what is left.

Down in that deep valley
Down in that dark valley
Down in that safe valley,

In that wooden chalet
By that bright fire
Behind that thick door.

Safe.

Count your blessings.
Count your scars.
Count your new skills.

And be glad.

Few are those who return
Unscathed.

Few are those who return
Untainted.

Few are those who return
Untamed.

Be glad.

You survived.

Just a little girl

~ Layla ~ Leave a comment
18/12/22

Don’t tread in these paths
Don’t linger in those woods
Don’t listen to those woods

I know, I know

The winter sun is pure pale gold
The winter birds are pure gold cheer
The winter path are pure cold crunch

Oh it’s so very still!
Oh it’s so very beautiful!
Oh it’s so very timeless!

But don’t stay here…

They say,

There’s a ravenous witch
There a dangerous witch
There’s a hideous witch

in these ethereal woods.
In these forgotten woods.
In these solitary woods.

There’s a witch…

So hungry
So famished
So thirsty

For fresh guzzling blood
For frantically beating hearts
For juicy pumping livers

She is forever hungry.

They say, whisper
They say, sing
They say, recite

stories about her stolen heart
stories about her stolen youth
stories about her stolen beauty

And those songs she bestowed to
the birds.

And those pearls she scattered in
the river.

And those dances she taught 
the trees.

The woods are tangled in her hair.
The paths is muddling her toes.
The air tastes like her sighs.

Don’t go.
Don’t linger.
Don’t stay.

And yet you do…

Who are you?
With thick braids.

Who are you?
With tired eyes.

Who are you?
with a sad song.

Lost little girl
Tired little girl
Undaunted little girl.

Please don’t linger here….

Begs the fluttering creature
Sings the delicate winged soul.
Pleads the brave little wren.

Oh little bird,
don’t you fear.

Oh little bird,
don’t you cry.

Oh little bird,
Don’t you fret.

I am lost on purpose.

In her smile,
In her glance,
In her stance,

The bird recognizes her…

The wretched witch!
The wandering witch!
The ravenous witch!

Fear not,

Little one
Sweet one
Dear one,

I do not hunger for 

bird hearts
bird livers
bird blood.

In my woods,

Birds may come
Birds may leave
Birds may dream…

In their homing,
I find my way back.

In their departure
I find my way out.

In their dreams,
I find my way beyond…

There isn’t a witch
in these woods.

Just a little girl
Just a little child
Just a little waif

Longing for a life

Of flesh and blood
Of warmth and love
Of belonging and safety.

Just a little girl.