Every time she leaves We blow kisses “Ummah!”
Ten years of kisses blown Through barred windows And chain link fences Down small streets And stairwells
Today down a small lane Lined with weeds and stray cats Turning back around the vine-covered wall To blow one lass kiss “Ummah!” The well of emotion The tears down my face Joy, sadness… the heaviness in my stomach I do not have the words To describe the deep longing and aching Mixed with the fluttering of my heart dancing An improbable but beautiful mixture But I know that she’s special And that this feeling doesn’t come often It flutters And whispers And paints the air Like the butterfly Ummah.