VoicesNet.com Recent Poems of Marine Altunyan - Copyright for all poems displayed belong to author

THE OLD HOUSE by Marine Altunyan

2/28/2007

It stood there
Humble and mute,
Weakened by age,
Swaying slowly with the wind
It stood there.
Grey walls, rusted roof,
Dripping ceilings
Blackened from decay,
A wooden staircase,
Broken and wet from humidity.
It stood invisible like the air,
Feeling worthless,
Feeble from wear and tear,
Abandoned by fate itself.
It stood there,
On the edge of collapsing
And wished that someone
Would come and care for it.
It stared invidiously
At the white and tempting neighbours,
Looking at it from above,
And laughing loudly with derision.
It stood there wretched, with discontent,
Grumbling at the injustices of the world
Until the merciful giant
Put an end to its miseries
And let it rest in peace.

IT DID HAPPEN by Marine Altunyan

2/28/2007

I didn`t see the blood,
But I felt it on my skin,
It is still warm.

I didn`t hear the screams,
But they are ringing in my ears,
Begging for mercy.

I didn`t witness the tortures,
But I can feel them beating me,
The bruises are everywhere.

I wasn`t made to walk barefoot
On the hot sand of the desert for months,
But my feet still burn.

I didn`t see my whole family, my people,
Breath their last tormented breath,
But that air is stuck in my lungs.

I wasn`t born on foreign land,
I grew up on my own,
But something was always missing.

No, it`s not a tale.
It`s not another nightmare,
It`s the reality.

They wiped us out like dust,
They took a piece of me,
A piece of every Armenian.

I wasn`t there but I won`t forget.
It`s a miracle we still exist,
But we do, and always will!

No, it`s not a tale,
It`s the reality.
It did happen.

TO THE UNKNOWN by Marine Altunyan

2/28/2007

On the top of the hill
Where the wind blows wildly,
Facing the deep red horizon,
Looking at the unknown
Stood she:
With a smile dried on her face,
And empty eyes,
She gazed at the endless sky.
She did not know
Or understand
Or realise
What she felt.
She avoided her thoughts,
Hoping they would tire,
And leave her in peace,
But it did not happen.
She wished she was dreaming,
But reality clung to her
With its claws
So hard
It did not seem
To want to leave her.
They were gone...
She had nothing
Nothing that belonged to her.
She looked at the sky
With hope shining in her eyes,
Spread her arms,
And flew like a bird
To the deep red horizon...

PRIVATE DANCER by Marine Altunyan

2/28/2007

I was your private dancer.
I danced under any music you put,
I moved like you wanted me to move.
I was your private dancer,
Dancing under yet another song,
With my eyes closed,
Enchanted by the lyrics,
Letting the music take me away,
Somewhere different this time,
A place I had never been before.
And I continued dancing,
Dancing under yet another song.
All I heard was the music and the words.
But the music eventually stopped,
And I opened my eyes;
I was standing in an empty room
Alone: just by myself.

THE SKY by Marine Altunyan

1/15/2007

The sky howled like a wolf.
Everyone shivered with fear.
It cried
Like a forgotten baby
Seeking attention.
It wept so hard
Tears formed
An endless ocean,
Washing away the anger.
Its eyes glowed with revenge,
Like the orange flames
Of a wild fire,
Ready to swallow
Anything on its way.
And when it had screamed so much
It had no voice left for screaming,
And when it had cried so much
It had no tears left for weeping,
And had no anger left within,
It opened its mouth
And smiled warmly again
Like an innocent baby.