The Lights of Love

The universe has a way of tossing us into the winds of time 

And whirling us about like fallen leaves on invisible currents. 

But we like to believe that we control our own destiny 

And chase our fate, sealing it with decisions we make

The world batters us relentlessly with change 

And circumstance, but sometimes I wonder.

I wonder why some of us settle down in treacherous places, 

Teetering dangerously on a precipice at the edge of the sea, 

Waiting for the slightest breeze to send us tumbling 

To the breaking point, while others rest comfortably 

Nestled amidst protective roots of blossoming fruit trees.

Only destiny determines why the loneliest souls

Shine so brightly at night. And why once in a thousand lifetimes

Two are chosen to collide in beautiful catastrophes like shooting stars 

And to passion that glows at night with the light of love.

Hasan Maruf teaches language and literature in Baridhara Scholars Institute and writes poems and fiction.