The perfect poem

Ever since we separated,
Habibthi

I have tried to stay sane
By looking for
Reminders of you
In every book I read

Every beautiful girl,
Habibthi
Every unavailable woman
Every femme fatale
Was you,

Habibthi

Every strand of hair described
Every captivating smile
Every bare shoulder
Every slender body
Every full bosom
Every long limb
Every fluttering eyelash
Every doe-eyed beauty
Every seductive giggle
Every passionate caress
Every moan of pleasure
Every scream of release
Every lover intertwined

Reminded me of you,

Habibthi

But I never found
All of you,

Habibthi

In any one book
Or in any one poem

No matter how many
Books I bought
No matter how many
Poems I read

I only got tantalising glimpses
Of your unique beauty,

Habibthi

So
In frustration
I stopped reading and
I stopped searching
For the perfect poem

Because I realised,

Habibthi
That I would never
Find the perfect poem
In any book

Because the perfect poem
Was

You



Habibthi



Lamb.