Quiet Mountain Essays
Copyright©;All Rights Reserved by Author
The Lilies
by
Nadira Omarjee
The white flowers on my dress
Grow bigger and bigger
Lost in the wilderness of lilies
I find myself screaming
Pain gushing forth like breath
Streaming through the channel of a flute
Creating melodies by the motion and vibration of the
body
My sweltering brain swirls with ideas
Love, pain, God, plant, Mother, child, eat
One bubble after another
Froth on my head
Trickling down my nose
I can feel my throat dry
Thirst
I am running
Faster and faster
And, the lilies
Grow bigger and bigger
Contributor's Notes...
I am a South African woman temporarily living in Holland; a doctorate candidate looking at media
perceptions about HIV/AIDS. I am a postmodern feminist, and I have been writing poetry for
over a decade. I have been invited to read my poetry at many national celebrations in South
Africa, and "The Lilies" is my all-time favourite selection.
