to be loved is to be changed

in a world that’s filled with uncertainty and trials, the constancy of my friendships brings me solace,

and when the hands of time gently rearrange, i will welcome ageing with a warm embrace.

they will take credit for my wrinkled eyes, my softened cheeks and the deep smile lines around my mouth.

their love will leave a beautiful mark on my face like the spine of a well-read book, proof of the time we’ve spent together.

your tastebuds decrease as you get older,

but when you taste the sweetness of unconditional love, the bitterness of sorrow loses its sting

dhkir will always light on my tongue.

Alhamdulliah, alhamdulliah, alhamdulliah.

for my friends — for the women i have around me.

you are a product of your circle, and those in mine make me whole,

them a part of me just as i am myself.

some things are lost in translation but it’s better than being unsaid.

hadduusan qadhaadh jireen, miyaa la qiri lahaa malab? — who has never tasted bitter, knows not what is sweet.