Ibtisam Shahbaz
Deep within, a confusion wishes to be resolved My heart longs to sit underneath the stars all night Thinking they have some answer When even my truth knows they are but soft light from dead suns Do these constellations even exist in real time? Destiny or my reflections are causing me unrest Words are difficult to form Am I the one who was, or the one I am yet to become? A yearning on the horizon Music pulsing on a nerve Constructs unidentifiable Growing, falling, settling Within Moulds are created to be broken So, we shatter these structures of glass To see the light fracture Find beauty in the pain Lifting the broken pieces of ourselves The hurt, regret, self-doubt Hold them in our hands and let the materialism escape See our reflection in the shards Fractured faces, ideas of ourselves Who are you really? Hold these ruins And piece by piece, build yourself together Fall and flourish Until you cannot be shattered no longer
Ibtisam Shahbaz is an emerging writer and poet based in Naarm. Her work is influenced by the perspectives and experiences of her childhood in Australia, amalgamating with the influence of her Pakistani background. She has a passion for literature, poetry and prose, and is currently working on her manuscript for a poetry collection. She is a volunteer at Red Room Poetry, assisting with their Poetry Month and Poem Forest projects.
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