Etched on souls
of the strongest of people
are the eeriest of scars;
fate’s schadenfreude painting
the pages of life,
afore beautiful destination
calls the most arduous walk
held in wretched land
belies deciduous leaves of desire,
traversing the crimson paths of fate
and enduring unkempt squalls.
Thence, beyond all life recapitulates:
What’s the prestige of rose sans thorns?
What’s the prestige of dawn sans dark?
As destiny reconciliates hither
with another chapter of gloom.
Ali Ashhar is a poet, short story writer and columnist. He is the award-winning author of two poetry collections, Mirror of Emotions (Notion Press, 2021) and Across the Shore (Zorba Books, 2024).