Rings — Poem —

Aziz Janal

9 years ago

Iskandar Soekardi is an English teacher from Pacific Grove, California, currently residing in Agadir and working at the American Language Center. His poems have been published in several journals. Outside of hosting many poetry events around the world, his decade-long radio program, (inside) Fez, was broadcasted on KAZU 90.3 FM and featured a soundscape of music and spiritual poetry. This month, he will host two events at the American Language Center Community Service Center and Ibn Zohr University in celebration of Creative Expression, Thanksgiving and the Mawlid.

Agadir, Morocco

In a city park,

with one-way road around,

we were grass-stained,

married by rings of light.

No fanfare, no confetti

like the trash outside

the nearby church structure.

Just gusts of wind swinging

branches and homemade kites

away from bright plastic playthings

on their gated playground.

In brief moments,

many lifetimes pass,

of which the wind

constantly sings,

and together

we learn humility

from mites massacred

at the sap on a fallen leaf,

sticking to me

for very dear life.