Poet Laith Biltaji began writing songs and limericks in his head as a child, only committing them to paper later, as a teen. While he draws his inspiration for his poetry from everyday occurrences in his life, it was after reading Michael Crichton's book Travels that he decided to compile a collection of his poems and divide them into four categories: journeys, love, people, and songs. Biltaji's poetry is the product of his personality, which stems from both Middle Eastern roots and global exposure. It is a deconstructed, chronological documentation of his journey through early teenage years, adolescence, and adulthood, documenting influences, people, and his never-ending search for the understanding of life and the supernatural experience of love. His new poetry collection, Inspirations, takes a peek at the inspirations that have shaped his life from his teen years to the present. The poems capture and crystallize the different levels of awareness that he has experienced over a period of twenty-five years. It is that distant region within him and in this world that he has endeavored to uncover and that comes alive in Inspirations.

Inspirations

Poems, Songs, and ReflectionsBy Laith Biltaji

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Laith Biltaji
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-5495-1

Contents

Another...................................................................1Questions at Thirty Thousand Feet.........................................2Senseless.................................................................3My Words Are Your Only Friend.............................................4Hallucinations............................................................5Reflections...............................................................6The Search................................................................7Watching the Day Break....................................................832........................................................................9Earth.....................................................................13Equilibrium...............................................................15Balance: A Reflective Journey into Darkness and Light.....................16Heroes....................................................................18My Demons.................................................................20Reality Check.............................................................22The Buffet Incident.......................................................25Cin Cin...................................................................26The Question..............................................................28Evolution I—Sufi Thoughts...........................................29Evolution II..............................................................30Now Here..................................................................31Fool's Gold...............................................................33You Are My Man............................................................34As I Lay in Her Embrace...................................................36Come to Me................................................................38Emancipation..............................................................39Fantasy-Reality...........................................................40I Love You................................................................41I Wait for You, My Dearest................................................42If We Could...............................................................44In Another Life...........................................................45In Too Deep...............................................................47She Has Taken My Heart....................................................49Love and Honesty..........................................................50New Dawn..................................................................51One More Shot of Vodka....................................................53Open Your Arms............................................................55Our Love-2................................................................56Play or Love..............................................................57Swedish Whims.............................................................58The Dream.................................................................59Thoughts of You...........................................................60In the Absence of Love....................................................62My Words Are My Soul......................................................63I Have Found a Friend.....................................................66Immortal Love (For Bana)..................................................67Juliet....................................................................68The Boy with the Curly Hair...............................................69Last Words................................................................70For Justin................................................................71She.......................................................................72A Thousand Miles..........................................................74Far Side of the Moon......................................................75Lead Me out of This Pain..................................................77Look out of Your Window...................................................78Nobody Else...............................................................79Vignettes.................................................................80What's a Tear?............................................................81With Every................................................................82Your Song.................................................................84I Will Always Love You....................................................85

Chapter One

    Another

    Another ride to the airport
    Another security check
    Another long line at check-in
    Another stamp on my passport to validate another exit
    Another boarding call
    Another trek to the plane
    Another "Welcome on board; please take your seat."
    Another takeoff; my heart stops, then slowly starts to beat.

    Another battle to sleep off the miles
    Another trip to lavatory confinement
    Another "Are you okay in there?"
    Another landing: bumpy, smooth, shaky—I don't really care
    Another "Thank you for flying with us."
    Another "What is the purpose of your visit?"
    Another customs check; I am randomly chosen.
    Another taxi—white, yellow, beige, or orange—"Sorry, sir, this one
    is taken!"

    Another drive through another city
    Another hotel doorman
    Another bellhop with another beaming smile
    Another hotel room, my home for another night
    Another seat at the bar
    Another shot of vodka to help me through
    Another insomniac wandering in the lobby
    Another "Nice to have met you; here's my e-mail—let's start writing!"

    Another day, another night
    Another week, another month
    Another year, full of so many anothers
    Another crossroads: Should I leave or stay for another?


    Questions at Thirty Thousand Feet

    What lies behind our actions?
    What lies behind our closed doors?
    What lies within our minds?
    What lies within our words?

    What makes us separate from all living beings?
    What makes the difference between restraint and control?
    What makes a word so powerful in silence?
    What makes us human, after all?

    When does a choice become an expression?
    When does an action become an event?
    When does eye contact become a passion?
...