Which Will It Be? 

Am I to be conjured by some image 
happened upon in a drawer or folder

recalled by a dedication in an unread book 
a cherished article of clothing, or trinket

O, great lover that you are, 
composed of so many loves 

what is it will summon me to you 
which mannerism, phrasing, or view 

what part of your mind-body-spirit 
inviolably mine, as indelible as a tattoo 

as he makes distinct claims upon your pulse 
overtaking, effacing the footprints of memory 

will the fragile filigree that persists of me
suffice to constitute what was an entirety?

Yahia Lababidi, an Egyptian author of nine books, has been called “our greatest living aphorist”.  His prose and poetry meditations have gone viral, are used in classrooms, religious ceremonies and feature in international film festivals.

Lababidi has contributed to news, literary and cultural institutions throughout the USA, Europe and Middle East, such as: Oxford University, Pearson, PBS NewsHour, NPR, HBO and beIN Sports.

Lababidi’s latest work includes: Revolutions of the Heart (Wipf and Stock, 2020), essays and conversations exploring crises and transformation, as well as Learning to Pray (Kelsay Books, 2021) a collection of his spiritual aphorisms and poems.