The Thief
written by: Amal El-Sayed
Time crawled through my window,
Ravenous – intent on being fed,
He stealthily stole my youth –
Left unattended by the bed.
I heard the rattle of the drawer
Where I have carefully locked my joy,
He wrestled it free from a locket
With a picture of a boy.
I closed my eyes when he went
For my box of fears,
I held my breath as his fingers
Traced my trail of tears.
I heard his muffled steps
Going down the stairs,
He must have left my tears and fears
Once he knew they only came in pairs.
I finally let myself exhale away
My sense of doom and dread,
For I was terrified he would
Steal away with my life instead.
Amal El-Sayed has an MA in English literature and is currently working on her PhD in English poetry. She is an assistant lecturer at Ain Shams University where she teaches classic and contemporary poetry. When she is not teaching, she can be found devouring books, composing poems, or scribbling stories that stubbornly refuse to come to an end. Born in the brisk cold of Moscow, she now resides in the enveloping warmth of Cairo. She plans to retire in a land of magic, secrets, and wonder as soon as she stumbles upon it outside her dreams.
