An Inside Story Poem by Abdul Wahab

He does not understand the words
Yet he laughs without reason
Then he laughs again with us
The reason is that he sees us laughing
Later, I make him understand the meaning
In his room he is found again laughing alone
This time the reason is that he now understands
The words, the meaning and the content
It would be better if the story ends here
But you would never find me telling you
A drab story in which nothing is hidden
The big secret is out like skeleton from the cupboard
A few of us know what life is, yet they fall in love
The reason is we see others to have their girls
The delight a poem brings they never know
Because love, life and poetry, all are crafts
Like singing a song, making a tune or drawing a picture
These all demand an understanding, from inside
And the cool water is not at top but at the bottom
The joy of love is hot in a kiss or in a touch
Or in being physical it is just a moment's pleasure
The real cool delight is in its string
Before you learn how to make new and new tunes
And create new and new stories you get nothing
But the surface water or a seed without the pulp
Or a solid stiff bone without meat
Now you are able to understand little
And perhaps you are laughing
But pity for those who have gone to grave
Yet never did they know what life is
Never do they know what love is
Though they become father
Or mother of several legal children or a bastard child.