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Poetry: Only time will tell

by Sawsan Elzayyat

Years in pigtails and gray uniform, plodding along, chattering

Years in dusty blue, marching, turning, chanting.


Years in rollers, on the phone, thinking, reading, gossiping

Years in jeans, sipping coffee, writing, dreaming

Years of love and lectures, of films and late night parties.


So many years gone by, with something left of each;

Blue in the dust, target practice, ink and chalk,

Mirrors and dances, boys and cigarettes,

Books, classes, papers,

Earnest talks and coffee,

A man and love.


Half a lifetime gone - but neither clue nor hint

Nor promise nor threat of what the other half will bring.

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