Poem: "Leave Behind Their Shadows"
Nov. 23rd, 2021 05:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "shadows" square in my 10-1-21 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. It has been sponsored by a pool with ng_moonmoth. This poem belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. It comes after "Fall into Despair" and is followed by "A Matter of Balance" and "The Basic Source of Peace."
"Leave Behind Their Shadows"
[January, 2014]
Ahzan tried to feel grateful
that he and his daughter Hasra
had gotten a trip to America, since
he was a single father and neither
of them were particularly healthy
after their escape from Syria.
High Desert Homeless Services
gave them a place to stay in
a tiny room with a bed for Azhan
and a little shelf-bed for Hasra
crammed in right beside his.
Mr. Desoto showed Ahzan
to the community clothing closet
to pick out a few things for himself
and Hasra, and then took him to
the Thrift & Gift Store where Ahzan
could spend his clothing allowance.
There was enough to buy a layette for
Hasra, plus bottles and diapers and such.
Then Ahzan picked out more clothes
for himself, enough that he would
only need to wash once a week. He
chose shades of gray, white, and
blue brightened with coral pink.
There were personal care items,
and a separate fund for those.
Mr. Desoto even helped him
to find the halal section.
California was much like Syria,
which Ahzan supposed was
meant to feel homey to him.
The problem was, nothing
and nowhere felt safe anymore.
How could it, with his whole family
dead except for his youngest daughter?
Even Hasra screamed all the time,
until she fell asleep in exhaustion.
Ahzan really couldn't blame her.
He felt like screaming all the time,
too, but he could not. Someone had
to keep the household going, and
now there was no one else to do it.
He had just gotten Hasra to sleep
when a soft knock made him
lunge for the door, desperate
to keep from waking her again.
Ibrahim Khaled just nodded at
Ahzan's frantic shushing gestures
and led the way to the living room.
"How are you doing?" Ibrahim said
as they sat down on a green couch.
"I am doing my best to take care of
Hasra," said Ahzan. "What else is there?"
"You need to take care of yourself too,"
Ibrahim said. "Otherwise you will wear out,
and then you will be no use to Hasra either."
Ahzan sighed. "I try," he said, "but there
is a hole in my heart that nothing can fill."
"The people whom you have loved
leave behind their shadows to walk,
always, with you in the form of
memories," Ibrahim said, patting
him on the arm. "A small comfort,
but that is what we have left."
Ahzan could not really argue
with him. Ibrahim had lost
his family too -- the boys were
both orphans he had picked up.
"It does not help that outside
looks so much like home, but it
is not," Ahzan said. "Sometimes
I look out the window and see --
see things that are not there."
"Ah," said Ibrahim. "That is what
I wanted to discuss with you. I
have a very interesting offer of
a permanent home, far away."
"Where?" said Ahzan. "We must
go somewhere. We cannot stay here,
this is only meant to be temporary."
"A city called Rutledge, in the state of
Vermont," Ibrahim said, showing a map
on his phone. "It is far north and full of
trees, cold enough to snow in winter."
"I always wondered about snow,"
Ahzan said. "I've only seen it
a few times, and then not much."
Ibrahim touched the screen
to show pictures of landscapes
completely covered in snow.
"People in Vermont go skiing
and make statues out of snow,"
said Ibrahim. "I plan to move
there with the boys, once
the offer comes together."
"I don't know how you can just ...
keep going on like that," said Ahzan.
"Where I am today is my starting point.
Who I am today is my starting point,"
Ibrahim said solemnly. "My failures and
successes of the past, my fears and
hopes of the future are all shadows.
Today is my reality, and I'll use it
to create my world. So it is for me,
and so it is for you as well, Ahzan."
It was hard to imagine making
a whole new life there, but then,
it was hard to imagine that anywhere.
Ahzan struggled to think about the future
at all, but he had to, for Hasra's sake.
"We will come with you, whenever
the offer comes in," he decided.
"We have to go somewhere, and
Rutledge is as good as any.
At least you will be there."
"Always," Ibrahim said, patting
him again. "Those of us who
have lost almost everything
must stick together so we
remember what we still have."
Ahzan thought about Hasra,
sleeping in her little bed.
"Yes," he said, "that's true."
* * *
Notes:
Dario Desoto -- He has tinted skin and brown eyes. He is bald with dark body hair. His heritage is American and Mexican. He speaks English and Spanish. He is 38 years old in 2014. Dario works at the High Desert Homeless Services in Victorville, California. His helpful personality makes him popular as a social worker. He enjoys cooperative games as a hobby. However, he doesn't make much money.
Qualities: Good (+2) Cooperative Games, Good (+2) Emotional Intelligence, Good (+2) Helpful, Good (+2) Social Worker, Good (+2) Stamina
Poor (-2) Brokeass Broke
* * *
High Desert Homeless Services
14049 Amargosa Rd.
Victorville, California 92392
High Desert Homeless Services has a long, low building with a terra-cotta roof. Wind spinners decorate the eaves. Murals brighten the walls.
A shared office holds multiple desks. Smaller offices provide private meeting space for social workers and their clients.
The living room has couches, tables, and chairs for socializing.
The kitchen supports the cafeteria.
They also have a food pantry and a community clothing closet for clients.
Terramagne-America often uses shop classes, Activity Scouts, Handymen for Humanity, and other volunteer efforts to make furniture for homeless shelters. Ahzan's bedroom shows a good example with a full-size bed and a co-sleeper crib crammed into a small room.
Ibrahim's bedroom has a queen-size bed and a bunk bed.
The Thrift & Gift Store offers toys, hair care, soap, toothpaste, and a halal section. Housewares include garden, camping, pest control, lighting, and other supplies. Clothing includes basics, children's clothes, menswear, women's wear, shoes and other footwear.
* * *
Damascus weather includes occasional light snow.
Vermont weather includes regular heavy snow.
ng_moonmoth. This poem belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. It comes after "Fall into Despair" and is followed by "A Matter of Balance" and "The Basic Source of Peace.""Leave Behind Their Shadows"
[January, 2014]
Ahzan tried to feel grateful
that he and his daughter Hasra
had gotten a trip to America, since
he was a single father and neither
of them were particularly healthy
after their escape from Syria.
High Desert Homeless Services
gave them a place to stay in
a tiny room with a bed for Azhan
and a little shelf-bed for Hasra
crammed in right beside his.
Mr. Desoto showed Ahzan
to the community clothing closet
to pick out a few things for himself
and Hasra, and then took him to
the Thrift & Gift Store where Ahzan
could spend his clothing allowance.
There was enough to buy a layette for
Hasra, plus bottles and diapers and such.
Then Ahzan picked out more clothes
for himself, enough that he would
only need to wash once a week. He
chose shades of gray, white, and
blue brightened with coral pink.
There were personal care items,
and a separate fund for those.
Mr. Desoto even helped him
to find the halal section.
California was much like Syria,
which Ahzan supposed was
meant to feel homey to him.
The problem was, nothing
and nowhere felt safe anymore.
How could it, with his whole family
dead except for his youngest daughter?
Even Hasra screamed all the time,
until she fell asleep in exhaustion.
Ahzan really couldn't blame her.
He felt like screaming all the time,
too, but he could not. Someone had
to keep the household going, and
now there was no one else to do it.
He had just gotten Hasra to sleep
when a soft knock made him
lunge for the door, desperate
to keep from waking her again.
Ibrahim Khaled just nodded at
Ahzan's frantic shushing gestures
and led the way to the living room.
"How are you doing?" Ibrahim said
as they sat down on a green couch.
"I am doing my best to take care of
Hasra," said Ahzan. "What else is there?"
"You need to take care of yourself too,"
Ibrahim said. "Otherwise you will wear out,
and then you will be no use to Hasra either."
Ahzan sighed. "I try," he said, "but there
is a hole in my heart that nothing can fill."
"The people whom you have loved
leave behind their shadows to walk,
always, with you in the form of
memories," Ibrahim said, patting
him on the arm. "A small comfort,
but that is what we have left."
Ahzan could not really argue
with him. Ibrahim had lost
his family too -- the boys were
both orphans he had picked up.
"It does not help that outside
looks so much like home, but it
is not," Ahzan said. "Sometimes
I look out the window and see --
see things that are not there."
"Ah," said Ibrahim. "That is what
I wanted to discuss with you. I
have a very interesting offer of
a permanent home, far away."
"Where?" said Ahzan. "We must
go somewhere. We cannot stay here,
this is only meant to be temporary."
"A city called Rutledge, in the state of
Vermont," Ibrahim said, showing a map
on his phone. "It is far north and full of
trees, cold enough to snow in winter."
"I always wondered about snow,"
Ahzan said. "I've only seen it
a few times, and then not much."
Ibrahim touched the screen
to show pictures of landscapes
completely covered in snow.
"People in Vermont go skiing
and make statues out of snow,"
said Ibrahim. "I plan to move
there with the boys, once
the offer comes together."
"I don't know how you can just ...
keep going on like that," said Ahzan.
"Where I am today is my starting point.
Who I am today is my starting point,"
Ibrahim said solemnly. "My failures and
successes of the past, my fears and
hopes of the future are all shadows.
Today is my reality, and I'll use it
to create my world. So it is for me,
and so it is for you as well, Ahzan."
It was hard to imagine making
a whole new life there, but then,
it was hard to imagine that anywhere.
Ahzan struggled to think about the future
at all, but he had to, for Hasra's sake.
"We will come with you, whenever
the offer comes in," he decided.
"We have to go somewhere, and
Rutledge is as good as any.
At least you will be there."
"Always," Ibrahim said, patting
him again. "Those of us who
have lost almost everything
must stick together so we
remember what we still have."
Ahzan thought about Hasra,
sleeping in her little bed.
"Yes," he said, "that's true."
* * *
Notes:
Dario Desoto -- He has tinted skin and brown eyes. He is bald with dark body hair. His heritage is American and Mexican. He speaks English and Spanish. He is 38 years old in 2014. Dario works at the High Desert Homeless Services in Victorville, California. His helpful personality makes him popular as a social worker. He enjoys cooperative games as a hobby. However, he doesn't make much money.
Qualities: Good (+2) Cooperative Games, Good (+2) Emotional Intelligence, Good (+2) Helpful, Good (+2) Social Worker, Good (+2) Stamina
Poor (-2) Brokeass Broke
* * *
High Desert Homeless Services
14049 Amargosa Rd.
Victorville, California 92392
High Desert Homeless Services has a long, low building with a terra-cotta roof. Wind spinners decorate the eaves. Murals brighten the walls.
A shared office holds multiple desks. Smaller offices provide private meeting space for social workers and their clients.
The living room has couches, tables, and chairs for socializing.
The kitchen supports the cafeteria.
They also have a food pantry and a community clothing closet for clients.
Terramagne-America often uses shop classes, Activity Scouts, Handymen for Humanity, and other volunteer efforts to make furniture for homeless shelters. Ahzan's bedroom shows a good example with a full-size bed and a co-sleeper crib crammed into a small room.
Ibrahim's bedroom has a queen-size bed and a bunk bed.
The Thrift & Gift Store offers toys, hair care, soap, toothpaste, and a halal section. Housewares include garden, camping, pest control, lighting, and other supplies. Clothing includes basics, children's clothes, menswear, women's wear, shoes and other footwear.
* * *
Damascus weather includes occasional light snow.
Vermont weather includes regular heavy snow.
