Venny Soldan-Brofeldt

Artist, sculptor, and jewelry designer.

Apologies

I apologize, mama, for peering through the tapestry of your wrinkles
I apologize, baba, for concealing you beneath woven rugs
I apologize, khaye, for contorting your limbs to mirror my own

Forgive me, asdiqa, I pledge to unblock the exits in the labyrinth of our conversations
Forgive me, hubiy, I vow to never plunge into scorching rivers of turmoil

Apologies, aleabi, for burdening you with pills of false solace
Apologies, tufulati, for dismantling your walls and stripping you of memories
Apologies, ashbah, for entangling you within the depths of my troubled mind

Pardon me, waqt, for rashly racing you towards an elusive finish line
Pardon me, harb, for not pausing to let you catch up, to seek understanding

To my nafsi, I extend sincere apologies for hurling curses at you night after night
To my beloved madina, I apologize for expelling my innermost turmoil onto unfamiliar streets
To the graceful hamayim, I apologize for treating you as mere refuse among labeled boxes

Forgive me, eazizi, whose name I conceal in the shadows of each page
Forgive me, for relentlessly translating the essence of your being again and again.

Translations:

  • mama – mother
  • baba – father
  • khaye – brother
  • asdiqa – friends
  • hubiy – my loves
  • aleabi – my dolls
  • tufulati – my childhood
  • ashbah – phantoms
  • waqt – time
  • harb – war
  • nafsi – myself
  • madina – city
  • hamayim – doves
  • eazizi – dear one
Daily writing prompt
What’s the one luxury you can’t live without?
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