A Light Entered My Cocoon

My first Guest Post! Deep Thanks to Ms. Kim Saeed at letmereach.com!

Let Me Reach with Kim Saeed

by Aisha Abdelhamid

At 19, I became engaged to my childhood sweetheart, following him from California to Virginia, but the engagement didn’t survive the transplant. Unwilling to return home, I worked in a hotel restaurant for room and board. He was 27, living in the hotel after touring as a crew member with Van Halen, a famous Rock&Roll band. He romanced me with excitement, affection and Southern charm. When he wrote a letter thanking my parents for me, I married him gratefully.

Twenty years later, after our divorce, I resumed thinking rationally. My husband had quickly, mysteriously, become an angry man, impossible to please. I attached paper to a cabinet door, writing everything he demanded, hoping to avoid his wrath. He undermined my confidence, constantly making demands and rarely offering praise. He withheld his affection also, emotionally punishing me for any mistake. His temper was so irrational and explosive, after…

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Poem: Notorious Little Girl

NOTORIOUS LITTLE GIRL

Her parents are always telling her
what to do next
But their discouraging misguided
advice deflects
She receives their warnings as things to
challenge and test
She hates it when anyone tells her
what to do next

Her rebellious independence she
proudly protects
Her bravery victories over
all their protests
The confidence and fearlessness in
her face reflects
How she hates it when someone tells her
what to do next

All of her character flaws she once
asked them to list
In her rebellious nature which they
wanted to fix
Then she listened and attempted to
correct her step
But she found herself trapped some place where
she didn’t fit

It happened so often that she learned
not to listen
Nor repeat her mistake when on each
past occasion
Deluded into false direction
on false pretext
She waited for someone to tell her
what to do next

•

© Aisha Abdelhamid

Dedicated to Rumi’s poem, “Bewilderment,” which you can find on Karen’s blog here. I read her post with this poem a couple of weeks ago, and it burrowed itself into my brain. Since reading it, I recognize that I didn’t become Muslim without becoming “Notorious” to everyone around me. This week’s prompts reminded me of my rebellious youth, and riding this current train of thought, I recognize that Allah created me rebellious to prepare and strengthen me for my coming transformation! Masha’ Allah! (“God does what He wants!”)

from Bewilderment, by Rumi:
…Forget safety. Live where you fear to live.
Destroy your reputation. Be notorious…
– Rumi

;^)

Click Here for the previous submission

Submitted to the Speakeasy Grid, week #150 at yeahwrite.me – This week the prompt is the sentence, “She waited for someone to tell her what to do next,” to be used as the last line in the post, and some reference to be made to the video by Future Shorts, “The Black Hole.” I referenced the final scene of this hilarious clip, where the man is trapped in the safe. Like to learn more? Click this logo to join us: