Samer Amin

The Scavenger Vultures of Despair

 

 

 

The scavenger vultures of despair are still prowling the wasteland\'s sky.

 

 

 

In this desert where survival is unthinkable, they are impatiently awaiting their victims.

 

 

 

Clear blue sky without clouds or even a speck of shadow on the ground.

 

 

 

Antagonizing all forms of life with scorching heat and apocalyptic drought.

 

 

 

Terrible glare surrounded the lonely traveler stranded on the burning sands.

 

 

 

Burning sands that just don\'t care if a traveler is terribly thirsty or in extreme pain.

 

 

 

The physical and emotional needs that must be burnt on the surface of this flaming dust of this cursed world.

 

 

 

The flaming dust that bears witness to the most heinous act of folly.

 

 

 

The foolish act of seeking the water of life in the middle of a desert,

 

 

 

far away from the true fountains of love and compassion.

 

 

 

The springs of genuine love that were unable to fulfill the imprisoned souls.

 

 

 

The trapped souls that were enslaved in this wretched desert by the yokes of their misguided wishful thoughts.

 

 

 

The wishful thoughts that usually harbor childish pride.

 

 

 

The naive vanity that made them feel as though they could reach out their hands and touch the glittering stars.

 

 

 

The twinkling stars in the faraway desert\'s black dome.

 

 

 

The unwarranted vanity that usually provides its bearer with a false impression of power,

 

 

 

and causes the mind to underestimate the genuine values or the real dimensions of almost everything.

 

 

 

The vastness of the cosmos that cannot be comprehended just by staring at dazzling things in its dark dome,

 

 

 

or even the relative mobility of each gleaming item in relation to its heavenly counterpart.

 

 

 

Knowing the components of something does not imply that you comprehend its essence,

 

 

 

or have any influence over its actions.

 

 

 

So, what awaits this misguided mindset in the endless cosmic desert, amid its unbearable harsh arid regions?

 

 

 

Will they be able to maintain their grip on the sparkling stars?

 

 

 

or will they collapse to the ground and will only be able to grip the searing sand?

 

 

 

Finally, satisfying the long-desired wishes of despair\'s greedy vultures,

 

 

 

who patrol the flaring sky of the arid desert.