College Now and Then

by

 Dr Hana Al-Bayyati

Four years had passed

As swift as light.

Four candles, white

In the temple of Night

Nothing was wrong

Everything was right

Spring was as pure as light.

Fields of hope, watered.

Flowers of virtue, bloomed.

In the academic life.

There was no strife

Pure  rivalry was there.

To build and to share.

Why should we let

Hatred and fight

Dominate,

And  Glittering light

Fade out at night,

And gate Of love shut

!O, pearls of future

Little things would be dearer

When the end of college,

Coming nearer

Our departure would damage

Our joy

 When the train of departure,

  Waving goodbye

To our lovely days at college

 A close friend would be a stranger.

  O, train of time do not pass!

Let our longing touch

Every book,

 Every desk,

 Every piece of chalk

,These little things

Our only consolation,

When we are gone

 To the realm, unknown.

Tomorrow

We will throw

Arestotle and Plato

Some of us run,

Or left alone,

Or might be done.

Some of us clime up a mountain,

Or dig deep down

Looking for gold,

Or diamond.

To be proud

To wear,

And to share

With the other

In this world,

Unfair.

Some of us look,

Not for a book,

But for a chair,

Not to take care

Of the  other,

 But to be a dictator,

To give the  order.

Our conscience

Should be virtuous.

Our soul should be pure.

Hard work to endure.

The tree

 Of our poetry

 Should be free

To build our country,

To live in peace full of  gold

 And silver

Our world is small

Like a village

Advising  us not to damage

Ourselves  in or outside college

Guests, colleagues,

And Pearls of future

All  of you, most welcome

In this realm

Of wisdom.

Hand by hand

To live in freedom.

In order, not at random