To My adorable younger brother Fairuf Ibrahim Oh how we laughedLife ‘s journey leads us: but, to our graves! As the sun humbles itself and leaves The world.. to darkness and me. A numbness invades me insensitively. With many a heartache following me. My aging eyes and speak able words cease to be, As I dipped upon the wide silvery greying seas. Chains and dreams of haunting memories Like the tidal waves, keeps on bothering m Leaving traces of many a foot prints and more! The insensitive waves dashes into the sea shores, While my life stately ship sails with honor, dignity Over the rough dark impatient seas so majestically• Hoping for blue calm waters of serenity As the journey sees its end unconditionally To My Two BrothersFirzoe Ibrahim (died 61)and Fairuf Ibrahim (died 44

My adorable brother Firoze As the sun lays its tired head on its pillow the seaDaylight fades and leaves the world to darkness to meMemories, of their spoken soft words lingers in my heartAs my misty eyes helplessly watch them sadly departSlipping beneath me like the waves and the sea sandFilled with unspeakable pain something I don’t understandFrom the rocks I gaze across the wide open seas uncertain floorHoping for no more shocks and heartaches by the scoreSometimes the deep oceans water glistens so crystal clearHow I wish life will be full of sparkling silvery waters to cheer But like the changing tide of the much needed oceanI keep rowing on with many a confused ocean of emotions.As my loving brothers make their sudden exitI create new tomorrow as long as my journey exist

Mothers are no ordinary miracle Our hair neatly combed and tied with a bow The dress a lavender shade our favourite you know And away with daddy we went that day 23rd May Late evening he would 'return' with a kiss he did say It was at 8:30 pm the doctor and my Hana Aunt came With news that made my mum's world distorted and lame We heard mum say the kids might not understand Away she had to go and holding Firoze 'my brothers' hand We heard cries as the three hours whizzed by My dad's gone. my dad's gone, i began to cry Family teachers friends classmates came that day But no more dad for 'us four' anymore anyway Mum all shattered worried to face the days alone Sadly no more dad but she had to make a home She bravely took the roll of mum and dad Many a tear she shed, it made us very sad She talked about a dad whom we will never see Hugged us tight when we longed for our daddy She took us to school when we were down Always firm and strong but never did ever frown Through the teen years she held our young hands As children we did impatiently with her stand Anxious in her new seat as mum and dad She did much to make us not miss dad Tap and ballet dancing she never did dismiss Music lessons at home we never did miss Speech and Drama and dressmaking She came along though it was painstaking She filled our lives with our desires tastefully With every second that passed successfully Soon young adults we came to be amazingly She wasted no time to secure the brothers efficiently To Art Classes, Shorthand Typing and academically more A mum dad teacher friend she worked with quality galore To movies we went as she explained the rights Made us understand the wrongs that made us see fright She surprised us with many gifts and parties with friends And made us many special clothes to taste to blend We shared wonderful things and many a real good times And sadly cried with heartaches fighting for our kind of times And though we did not see that she wanted the very best She courageously surrendered to let us face the test. The world was ours and she gave although she was dead beat Never complained hesitated resigned nor did she retreat Concealing the pain in her heart she'd lend a warm smile Hoping some day some where we will accept her life style A broken heart and many a broken bones she did gracefully survive A wonder super mother for us she was and she really did strive Alone in silence she cradled our young troubles Despite the scores her love, concern, always did double Her loving touch filled our hearts with sweet fragrance Embedding it with faith, trust, love, values in life with elegance A perfected mum she proved herself to be, a strength with dignity Helping hand she extended in many ways so graciously As an adorable grandma she slaved from dusk to morn The gifts and cakes clothes she made for every party that did dawn More than an ordinary miracle she played her part so sweetly To Maria her great grand daughter clothes gifts she showered lavishly Mum, grand mum, great grand mum, teacher, preacher, friend, her work done She left behind treasured deeds, golden memories, under GOD's sun Unstained melody a mum so precious and so very rare Helped us rise through battles as orphans with tender loving care She was more than an superhuman mum as she braved Many a decades till she was finally and gracefully laid

That 23rd 1963 Morn The saddest, a heart that has seen a knife a dad's death a pain unexplainable and strife Our hair neatly combed and to perfection Our uniforms neat, mum did not fail satisfation Holding daddy's hands to school we went After two rainy days at home we happily spent. We were surely not afraid to say Daddy dear didn't send us yesterday As the rains will make us very ill Our classmates smiled and stood still But our teachers tried to tell us so Daddy will not forever be at our door As kids "YOU" wll fail to understand Time can be so cruel with the clocks hand Laughing and singng so merrily It was a lovely drive home so joyfully Crackers , cheese and tea with dad Away we went for tap dancing with dad It was the day before my cuz 'tita's wedding Dropped in an hour to see what we should bring Dad went to a meeting and dinner with friends But things changed as fate had plans to see it end It was half past eight when the door bell rang My aunt stood with our family doctor in hand My mum was worried when the doctor kindly said 'Ibrahims' got a chest pain and is in hospital bed She stood there frozen in deep silent pain Tears streaming down her personality maimed Instantly she left, shattered, home i stayed My aunts, brother, dads friend, went and we prayed Pacing the floor, no control, so impatiently Hugging each other wondering desperately A wrist watch dad gave me a couple of hours ago With pink roses a fragrance so sweet i loved it so Anxiously awaiting for good new in tears Feelings of heart beat with uncertainity deadly fears Our first man we loved and he loved us so A wonderful dad the best he did for us, just four Fatherless kids, so seldom we have heard Staring painfully at each other with unspoken words So young in our years we need him so near And a mum too young surely dad should be here Alas the angels did come so suddenly And took him away gently and tenderly Our first love of our lives, our shining star Now gone away to heaven, away and so far A dad is always in a crowd somewhere Watching his kids he loves no matter where Enjoying the ice cream from Piccadilly Riding the bikes along Galle Road carefully A dad no more, never, no longer we see Sadly no more never ever with us be A dad who will not can no longer do call Fly kites at our fancies whenever we call A daddy whom no one can no longer greet When other daddies teachers friends do meet A daddy we always wished to proudly speak Through tears that somehow will forcibly leak Years whizzed by and at the end of life's play The feelings same the terrible loss did not decay As the handsome ebony haired daddy of "mine With his silver tongue and magical words so fine Decades went by the angels came and mum was gone before the rise of one gloomy dark August morn Tragedy struck my younger brother an accdent he was slain And then my elder brother's voice stilled our hearts in silent pain My sister and i stand together all alone With thoughts wondering who will walk alone? The world a stage that we had our part to play Graacefully we bow out when we finish our stay ...emotions are a secret language that one cannot comprehend. Shirani Ibrahim Riyadh, KSA

A Dad With A SilverTongue