Poetry: Fizza Abbas

Fizza Abbas

A non-native speaker learning English idioms

 

Leather, nails, or an old booth, I ponder still,

As a non-native speaker, cut me some slack, if you will.

Should I perch myself on a tree, with cacti below,

Poking my rear, as confusion continues to grow?

My mind's a labyrinth, struggling to find its way,

Jogging its numbness to produce words that sway.

My teacher claims language learning is child's play,

Master tenses and words, and success will come your way.

Reading is the key, they say, to unlock the door,

And become the next Plath or Tolstoy, forevermore,

Oh, dear nincompoop, follow the rules and play,

But where's the creativity if I do it their way?

 

Wakey, wakey, it's time to embrace the challenge once more,

To dance with idioms and let the English language soar.

 

A

 

I'll tread a righteous path within my home's embrace,

Defying laws and order, all for my love's grace.

A toe-walker I've been, for ages and counting,

But what will be my Achilles' heel, I'm still surmounting?

"You, with yellow teeth and unkempt hair," they jeer,

Adding insult to injury, with words insincere.

 

B

 

Fetch me bread and butter from the bakery nearby,

Not from the dairy shop, dear doggo, please don't lie.

Forgive my anger, it's just a bad hair day,

Barbers on strike, hence this messy display.

 

C

 

Life is a can of worms, unpredictable and raw,

Call things as they are, not a romanticized flaw.

Join me in search of a chip off the old block,

Or a half-peeled potato, lounging on the couch like a rock,

Oh wise old nutjob, let's embrace the absurd,

In this vast universe, where contradictions are heard.

 

D

 

D symbolizes a deal, complete and profound,

Though at times, dead in the water, easily unwound.

Deep like a drop in the vast ocean's expanse,

Drinking like a fish, in a mesmerizing dance.

 

E

 

Let me throw egg on your face,

An end in itself, I'm loving this chase.

Having practiced countless idioms, it's time to let loose,

To savor a humble pie, and now, the plot thickens like a goose.

Embarking on a new journey, with cards up my sleeve,

Eager as a beaver, ready to achieve.

***

 

Bio: Fizza Abbas is a writer based in Karachi, Pakistan. She is fond of poetry and music. 

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Setu, July 2023