Talented Creator spotlight #6...Sid Aaron Hirji

I cannot remember if I first read Sid's story, or he read my story first. But he never fails to drop by and read my scribbles. I do my best to catch up by scrolling about to find his stories too.

If ever there is a silent reading ninja, it is this unique young gentle soul.

Sid has a sort of quiet presence, a silent tortured dignity that permeates everything that he writes.

A perfect example is this story poem which won him:

"Runner-Up in After the Parade Challenge"

With hardship I will after still feel pain.

I was born to suffer with a mind that never rests,

Yet I will reap the rewards of knowledge and wisdom.

For me the world is cryptic and I must uncover its secrets.

Of course there are times of relief,

Parades of comfort because otherwise I would let up.

Sailing against the wind more often than not,

Refusing to lie at anchor yet sometimes

Erupting in flames and left to burn in the dusk

Yet I will always rise from the ashes.

Few would choose this life as they would feel the weight of burden

Read the entire poem by clicking the above story. I was torn about what portions of the words to choose to feature here, it is so fraught with emotions. Although he won runner-up, he got 8 likes and one comment.

Many of Sid's poems speak of his estrangement from his family, who rejects his choice of his individuality. He is deeply hurt and somewhat upset that standing by the proud person who he is, who accepts himself for who he is, has made him a stranger to the family. He somehow likes to feature worms...ugh.

It has been five years since I have been estranged from my family,

My dad is aging and has a progressive lung disease.

He was magnificent in this world to his peers,

A physician whose intelligence came in spades.

However, when his days end, he will be a corpse.

No pulse, no beat, yet a memory,

Worm food just like a lonely beggar.

We are in this world a short time,

I do not hold anger to his rejecting me,

For when it's time,

And I leave this world behind,

I will join him for the feast for the worms,

At supper.

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I guess we will never understand the dynamics which allow families, parents to turn their faces from their children. Such a hurtful thing is hard to imagine.

Yet, we are happy that here, Sid has found an outlet for his creativity and emotions, where his imagination can soar like the proud eagle that he is.

For love of Reynard...yep, it's a teddy bear.

He is my best friend, not just a teddy,

An emotional support pet, cure for my fear and pain.

When I hug him, I feel sheltered from the rain.

My estranged parents' love resides in him

The lessons and trauma of my childhood remain embedded in my mind and often I sit for hours reflecting on them. To date I am almost 40 and yet still recall hearing certain phrases that would be repeated over and over throughout my life that I first heard at age 4.

A look back at his childhood journey.

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And comes Autumn

Dank dew drops dry while

Yellow leaves hang and sway with

Autumn wind kissing sun.

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............And finally, a Haiku to welcome new beginnings and bring the promise of reconciliation as you traverse this rocky road of life Sid.

"Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. In the noise and confusions of life, keep peace with your soul. Strive to be happy". (Desiderata).

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