Yussif Ahmed Ibn Yussif

'It was fun meeting you But I gotta go now Keep in mind, you may not see me again Or if Allah wills, we’ll meet again Asalaam Alaikum'   I imagine that’s how our goodbyes with Ramadan sounds We don’t like to think about it but it counts Because just like any other thing in time There is no guarantee of a next time   In chapter two of the Wise Quran Allah tells us of the real deal of Ramadan A reminder of the fear of Allah, Ramadan Just think about it   The fear of Allah is of two folds; Leaving what’s prohibited and enjoining what is required Simply, the fear of Allah is just abiding by His legislation.   There is food and water but you leave them for the sake of Allah, Ramadan Those prohibited relationships are halted for the sake of Allah, Ramadan Abusive words are stripped of our mouths for the sake of Allah, Ramadan See, Ramadan is when all goodness is returned to our bodies, and all evil is relegated to nothingness. ...

Every room holds secrets Secrets that can destroy So when the door is breached A skin falls and another builds   A wall comes up When steps are taken For judgment sits keen Ready to strike the candid   The friends we keep The people we dodge And the ones we hug What is this thing about the people we think we can embrace without any questions? Without any walls   Sometimes trust can create magic Magic that can fluid your life Other times, it’s toxic   You have your secrets And I have mine Our doors may not be the same But they hold us well                          Yussif Ahmed Ibn Yussif                          ahmed.yussiph@gmail.com

Like the ice breaks So does the heart But the mind makes it resilient Something the ice lacks   For so long, you held my heart Like the mountains hold the earth without fail Never moving an inch Always a whisper away   You gave me love And I laughed You smiled and tripped But stayed and never strayed   Your love runs in my veins. On days when I miss you most It clots Attempting to suffocate me A little reminder of how much love I deserve Even from a distant figure of unfading memories   Inevitably, time and land Widened the gap between us Disintegrating our unripe love In those moments of space Without your presence Talk without your response Pain without your comfort I was forced to love myself The way you loved me   Even now, here and now Your love fills a void But it also creates another one An even bigger one Because, for you, leaving is inevitable, Sadly.         ...

When we first spoke I felt seen In ways  never before So I kept looking for more of me In your eyes   The feeling was unnatural to me To feel lost and ominous for so long And out of nowhere, a reflector shows up Showing you not just your scars But your perfections too   New understanding surfaces Curing all that blotted out all goodness Darkness into light Sunshine in the night Up and bright   To be perfect is not to be spotless To be perfect is to embrace the scars And flaunt them Till the scars become scary To the scoundrel   You see me And I see me New day

It looked shallow But he still wallowed Not knowing   Sinking isn’t drinking Neither is filled, any satisfying   The bank of the river always looks Sandy But each particle of sand is Shaped differently   When the sea waves move the water to Cover your feet The feeling is different Depending on your state of mind   First, it was your eyes And the beauty that lies In them But now, it's more than that   The whispers of the night The morning adornments The sparks in your voice when you speak of me And what is mine   The blossoming of what could be The strides of your heart The crosses of mine And the intersecting threads   Now, I realize my folly Of folding upfront Now, I unfold Spreading to the ends of the world What could amaze it

We lay on the floor Well, half bed, half-floor Our backs against each other Not talking Just lying there   I rubbed my back against hers I took her hand Robbed her smallest finger Then her ring finger Then her palm   From a distant place, I felt something A surge of emotions Emotions that have eluded me for so long   Tears stood in my eyes I wanted to speak But my voice was chocked So I just lay there Hoping she’d speak But she kept mute   A shut mouth threatening To rip apart a heart that was full So I just kept rubbing her fingers   Finally, "are you hungry?" She asked I smiled And found the strength to get up   Love comes in varying forms and shapes What's yours?

Shattered into pieces She shelved herself Hoping to come back stronger Alone, and bigger   She hadn’t realized it yet But she was stronger, alone A lone wolf Who either leads the pack Or walks alone   She had mingled Lost her mojo Attached to the other And let down   Good thing No? Doesn’t it get worse Before it gets better? Now she knows Not to shed her husk Without a backup skin   Like the lone star, she shines Brighter and better But she was still worried About all the stars That had deserted her She was broken, Inside out   But now, she is formidable In ways that amaze The crowd surges forward But she is far ahead Because like the lone star, She shines brighter all on her own.