By Fikre Tolossa
Life is noting but a bridge that leads
To the next life all those who roam
on it. What a fool builds a house
on a bridge, deeming it a home?
Life is a tent,
And not a home.
It’ll shelter the next traveler,
When the first stops to roam.
Life is an airport
That welcomes strangers,
And bids farewell
familiar passengers.
Life is an inn
That houses the passersby for a night,
To kick them out and receive
The next passersby with delight.
Life is a harlot, but life
Is never, never a wife;
For everyone can have her
For a while, and not “forever”.
Life is a springboard
That helps us to leap
Up to the next life,
Our harvest to reap.
What Is My House?
My house is my temporal shelter,
And not my eternal home;
For I’m a time-bound wanderer
Till I stop to roam.
What Is Really Mine?
Nothing’s really mine.
Even my body’s not mine;
For it’ll be taken away from me,
However it looks strong and fine.
Nor do I possess eternal house and land,
As my body’s eternal abode is the grave.
Neither do I dare claim even my grave,
Whether I’m a king or pauper, coward or brave,
And whether my grave’s made of pure gold
Or rare precious stones,
For they may toss out my old bones,
To replace them with newer bones.
All things that I think I possess last only
for a moment. Indeed all of them perish
but my soul. God forbid that for this world’s
gains I lose my soul, that I guard and cherish.
(The poet, Fikre Tolossa, Ph.D., author of The Hidden & Untold History of the Jewish People & Ethiopians, which is available at Lulu.com, could be reached at: [email protected])
11 thoughts on “What is Life? (Poem)”
Lovely poem.
Fikre Tolossa,
I LIKE THE WAY YOU WRITE YOUR POEM. It also reminds me of Jim Reevees’ old sonG,
This world is not home,I am just paasing through,
The treasures are laid down some where beyond the blue.
Although life flows, continues through the generations and nature seems eternally here through the seasons along with the sun, moon and the stars ( the most visable to man, well the planets are something else except the earth ), your poem comes through as some what spiritual, realistic and at the same time pessimistic? At least in my view.
Please follow up with, WHAT IS SOUL? may be then, the depth of the poem could come into some completion/balance?
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It is also the kind of poem worth saving/printing because it has some worth depending on life’s experience especially the loss of loved ones, spiritual experience, departure from what is worldly, self actualization and “mental freedom” and so forth.
Dear Elias,how about telling Alamoudi to kiss your butt and shine your shoes.? Tanks!
Who rules then? Spirituality, Ethiopia, Jews, or tyrant Meles? Excuse me but at least NOT Mengistu. I am asking only because I wanted to define my contexts, poetically speaking, as clearly as possible in order to have firm control over it by avoiding foggy and misty circumstances whether here on earth or up there in the heavens. I also like clear cut humanistic poems that are meant to display human conditions and its betterment possibilities and opportunities as well as spicing life with sprinkles of optimism here and now. :)
This is nice poem. Well written with deep consciousness.
This is nice poem in my opinion too, well written with deep consciences, but I am just wondering as to how the others, say, the realistic clip art on this forum representing a rich Arab feasting on Ethiopian resources, tyrant Meles politely serving the rich Arab from a standing position, as well as the deeply skinny starving Ethiopian looking at the nice meal which is a nice poem for him and begging crumbs with his eyes and with deep consciousness each think about life or ask, “What is life?”
If each of them have to write a poem from the bottoms of their heart and from their own personal experiences about life and its meanings what would it look like?
Like Dr. Tolosa’s, opposite to that of DR. Tolosa’s or in between that of being for or against? Or else may I politely ask Dr. Tolosa to imagine, role playing and write three different poems, one from the point of view of the rich Arab, the second from the point of view of tyrant Meles entertaining the rich Arab and starving the skinny Ethiopian, and the last from the point of view of the skinny Ethiopian as presented in the clip art presentation. Why not? We have a fresh clip art as well as a fresh poem out of which we may produce some form of innovation if you may. Otherwise each may stand separate and die a natural death slow death rather than unite and form a dynamic new meaning and innovative higher level new understanding for the new Ethiopia to come. :)
I like the poem. I do not like the Capital BooshT, French Camel dealer.
I have read both supportive and destructive opinions, but what I would like to say is write what your soul entertain, then some people may support and the other decline, for me your poem is really strong, and try to write in Amhaic, cause the language have its own essence and contribution for your pen and flow of the story. Keep it up
This site is a fascist American forum. Repeatedly, they destroyed my posted comments because I make them feel guilty of their crimes or collaboration to crimes. Moderators, please allow individual`s right to speak or write when it`s without intention to harm or hurt another unlike Mr.Tolosa.
Adios!
I really like to read and enjoy Dr. Tolosa’s poems. But I and my friends would have liked more and enjoyed even much more better if it is also written in Oromo language because it represents ageless democracy and deep rooted pluralistic values. Keep up the good job! :)
uneofascism,
“Moderators, please allow individual`s right to speak or write when it`s without intention to harm or hurt another unlike Mr.Tolosa.” you wrote
Are you saying that Mr.Tolosa has the intention to hurt others or has the intention not hurt others?
Thank you!
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