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A Blank Page, a poem by Silva Zanoyan Merjanian

“morning’s nowhere in sight
to wash away with its light
the carcasses a night left behind
of regrets scattered all over dark alleys of my mind”
Silva Zanoyan Merjanian, Uncoil a Night

October drops gift baskets at my door
full of words that fill this evening’s
blithe chalice to the rim
toasting the auspicious rain

soil wet and scented calls for verses
to catch color of leaves
losing their grasp on spring’s promise

smell of burning wood from a distance
tells of flames in a fireplace
watching lovers tangled in post-coital bliss

fall awaits poems, while air lusting for winter
flirts with Maple trees
their elated limbs undressed and arched
reaching for that crisp fall breeze

but that’s not all October brings
there’s a bloodied river
that flows through Aleppo
Kessab, Homs, Damascus

through burning pit of pistachio and olive trees
through a country twisted on its knees
it flows into my cupped hands

I never meant to hold them open to catch their grief

and there’s that last tear hanging from tip
of a continent’s nose, about to drop last sliver
of hope and dress limp prayers in black

October drops gift baskets at my door
full of words that fill this evening’s
blithe chalice to the rim
toasting the auspicious rain

but not a word here about leaves nor the kiss
of fall on winter’s lips
no measured lines about lovers
not a word yet, not on this page

I’m just listening to silence breathe
over contrite indifference trailing children’s bare feet
bleeding on piles of rubble they call home
their shell-shocked faces lost between these blank pages

At New Ulster, Ireland

© Silva Zanoyan Merjanian

This poem is shared here with Silva’s permission.

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SILVA ZANOYAN MERJANIAN  is a widely published poet of Armenian descent who grew up in Beirut, Lebanon. She moved to Geneva for a few years during the Lebanese civil war and later settled in Southern California with her husband and two sons. Her work is featured in international anthologies and poetry journals. Merjanian has two volumes of poetry, Uncoil a Night (2013) and Rumor (Cold River Press, 2015.). Rumor won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Fall 2015 for best poetry book by NABE. Three poems from Rumor were nominated for Pushcart Prize. Silva donates proceeds from both books to charities.

Jamie Dedes. I’m a freelance writer, poet, content editor, and blogger. I also manage The BeZine and its associated activities and The Poet by Day jamiededes.com, an info hub for writers meant to encourage activist poets and poetry, good but lesser-known poets, women and minority poets, outsider artists, and artists just finding their voices in maturity. The Poet by Day is dedicated to supporting freedom of artistic expression and human rights.  Email thepoetbyday@gmail.com for permissions, commissions, or assignments.

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