there is a feeling that you get
only once in a lifetime.
it is the feeling of being surrounded by happiness so fierce,
it festers and infects you.
it is the opposite of loneliness,
because in this vast desert i have never felt more at home.

with them there is a safety
so pure it cannot be synthesized.
within those i love i have built a sanctuary,
and i do not plan on leaving.
our hearts seem to beat to the sound
of one celestial drum.
the sun may depart behind the mountain,
but we will climb it together
and find the light once again.

they are loved more than they could ever know,
and here in the infinite unknown
the sun will rise once more and we will stay true.
i make my mark in people’s hearts,
i plant my words in their soul
and carve my name into their veins.

i have built my home to withstand the raging storms
and the bold canyon. i have built my home to withstand
the darkness and fear without the astonishing sun.
i have built my home to protect and preserve
the hearts i have obtained.

Menal Siddiqui believes poetry is what heals the soul. It has taught her to express herself through words instead of tears, and that is why it is her passion. Poetry is the gateway to living, and she intends to spend her life living like there is no tomorrow.