Making Beauty - Shamsa Khan

I carry the loss of loved ones,

like jewels pressed between

my cupped hands

I carry the shock of my awakening,

like a sheltered pearl torn away

from the comfort of the clam.

I carry jagged betrayal,

like a warrior turned against

in the thick of battle.

I carry deep pain,

like a reservoir of dark water

held back only by prayer.

I carry these parts within me,

sewn together to make beauty,

sewn together to make me.

---

Shamsa Khan has always been writing for herself but only recently started sharing her work with others. To Shamsa, poetry brings meaning to our existence. Recently, her work has been featured in Humans of the World. She is also a teacher of literature and poetry in Northern California.