À l’heure du tout à l’image et du buzz sans suite, «l’express» souhaite faire découvrir la plume de poètes, de chanteurs, d’écrivains et de tous ceux qui jettent leur âme sur le papier, et qui mettent en mots des réflexions profondes.

I am the book

To the one who reads me, I say thank you

To the one who bows to me,

I say God bless you

To the one who disregards me,

I say see you next time

To the one who doesn’t look at me,

I say take your time

These are the four people I hold near

my heart

I am the book, the cherished one

Straight and shining on a cleaned

wooden bookshelf

I hear the school’s bell ringing, I hear

hurried footsteps

I sense the heat, I feel the touch of lovely

young hands

As the pages are quickly flipped or

gracefully turned

These are the students who love my smell

I am the book, the Holy one

Revered and dutifully bound, kept for

daily prayers

Avid listeners sit around, waiting for the

nectar to be delivered

The preacher will do justice to each word

written here

The audience, under spell, is nothing else

but all ears

These are the preachers and listeners

of the Holy book

I am the book, the disregarded one

Always in deafening silence, in dark

shady corners

Visitors come and go briskly,

I am not looked at for years

Maybe next, or next, or next time,

I whisper ruefully

You will look at me, you will read

the pages and carry me

This is my wish, my trust and prayer for

those who disregard me

I am the book to be looked at one day

I am the game changer, I am all loyalty

guaranteed

I am History, life, I am truth, I carry the

world’s deeds

Hold me in your lap, on your bed, on the

mantelpiece

I can be your best friend, your travel

mate, your haven of peace

Take your time, but lift me once to show

you the light

For, you are the four people for whom

I was written!

Bio

Dr Anitah Aujayeb

A long-standing educator, now teaching at tertiary level, she has authored several books in all genres of literature, novels, stories, travelogues, poems and history.