The Moonlit Cabin
after Izumi Shikibia and Nizar Qabbani Dew kissed ferns unfurl in silence. Sea relentlessly blankets shore. How many times will I betray, only to find myself in this mountain’s shade? You watch as I fade into forest. The earthly scent of cedar stirs longing. My every footfall, in any direction, can only lead me back to you. What gentle hearth this stillness is, nestled in your arms again. Wind and rain reduced to memory Caressing this cabin’s windowpanes. Nothing, Save the full moon’s light Can reach me here. it’s all ephemeral except the One Rooted in the rainy Pacific Northwest, Efemeral’s multilingual written verse and spoken word performance entwine reflections on faith, language and the human psyche. Her latest English works have been published in the anthology, “A Kaleidoscope of Stories” published by Lote Tree Press. She has pieces in anthologies by Rumi Center for Spirituality and the Arts and was also published in The Puritan’s 2019 issue, “What Does It Mean to be a Muslim Writer?”. Her Arabic poetry is currently featured in the …