In Zanzibar

A city both imagined and true. Living on the edges of spiritual awareness and the physical world. Poems seek to speak of her beauty, in hopes to reach her.

In Zanzibar 

By

Carlos Lorenzo Estrada 

As I close weary eyes in somnolence.

and leave this world to Providence.

Slip the bonds of mortal existence  

Cry heavens kiss to immortal presence 

I'm called to lands of distant hope.

Tethered by a spirit rope.

Her cobbled roads which call to me.

In mesmeric dreams of fantasy.

White sands of powder soft as fur.

Coral sea and scent of myrrh 

Sufi chants of requiem 

Holy words which call within.

Men postulate on prayer knees.

Veils wave upon softest breeze.

So I toss my fate into the wind

in hopes to find divine within.

And cast my gaze to east afar

In wandered dreams of Zanzibar.

Author's Note

There are a few poems written that speak of Zanzibar. Some reflect a spiritual ideology, while others describe a physical place. And some interpret both. All make me wish I could be there.

Reviews

[jen]

Carlos this is so lovely. Your description of this land makes me want to travel there if only in my thoughts. Really nice. thank you

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you, Jenny, for the kind review. It was totally my intention in this poem. Like traveling to Oz or Wonderland. It is a mystical and fantastical journey. Existing in both a real and spiritual realm. It's like half Eden and half Hawaii steeped in Islamic lore. Thank you again for taking the time to read and comment on this poem. It is greatly appreciated.

[Suzanne Sonderleigh]

Beautiful poem. Soft, floating words. I felt transported to Zanzibar.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you, Suzanne, for this kind review. Zanzibar was such a joy to write because it practically wrote itself through the imagery. With the sufi chanting and men praying on their knees, it felt like I was a bird flying over viewing these images. It had both a real and dreamlike quality to it. A place I wouldn't mind seeing again in my mind. Thank you again for taking the time to read this short poem. I really appreciate it.

[Coyote Poetry]

A wonderful poem shared Carlos.
"So I toss my fate into the wind
in hopes to find divine within."
In my young days. I prefer the west wind. Safe place for a Ojibwa hiding out. I been to Salinas often. I was station at Fort Ord from 1991-1993. Good to be like the wind. Never controlled and the wind will touch the four corners of our world. Thank you for sharing the outstanding poetry.
Coyote

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

fort ord is just a couple of minutes to the ocean. Right by marina which i try to visit when I can before heading towards Monterey. Right past lovers lane by the aquarium there's a spot of rocks one can sit on and see the sea otters playing in the water. I love that spot so much. Once saw a deer and child walking along the shore it was such a magical image I will never forget. Thank you so much for the kind review.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are lucky my friend. I would love to live near Monterey and Big Sur. I visit in may 2018. I hope to revisit next year. You are welcome Carlos.

[Dave Brown]

I believe there is a flight leaving on runway 9
I'll join you there

[Sherri Moshman Paganos]

A wonderful poem Carlos
The name itself connotes exoticism. Beautiful imagery and use of rhyme:"white sands of power soft as fur/coral sea and scent of myrrh." Like a dreamlike chant. Reminded me of Coleridge's "Kubla Khan."

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you, Sherri, for your kind review. I have rarely traveled far from outside the US. But my mind has often wandered to many imagined places. With Zanzibar being such a place, one that exemplifies both physical and a spiritual journey. Beautiful places of exotic nature often do. I try my very best to capture the image especially when I am profoundly touched by what I see in the story or poem. To hear the kind words such as yours makes me feel at least I succeeded in some level. Written works are seldom ever truly complete because we are constantly seeking perfection in their creation, but for her and now, that will do. Thank you again for taking this trip through these words. I appreciate the time you spent.

[Sherri Moshman Paganos]

Yes we're always seeking perfection and settling with what the written word can offer us. Keep traveling with the power of imagination, it can take us on many spiritual voyages.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

And also join us with remarkable new friendships as well, with our fellow travelers. Thank you, for both your sharing of art and kindness of your review.

[emmajoy]

Think I have my own Zanzibar here after a night of light rain . open expanses of glittering fields and rises, hedgerows and trees.. and a scent of damp earth.. and.. even with discordant avian choirs = a peace sent by somewhere beyond human understanding and glorious.

I read your poem.. once, twice and understood because of what I'd just experienced whilst out with my dogs.. So, forgive me for only now commenting about the feeling of your beautiful words. And they are, sir, beautiful.. each couplet a wondering gasp of 'I feel, I see, I understand!'

' Sufi chants of requiem - Holy words which call within. - Men postulate on prayer knees. ' Veils wave upon softest breeze. ' And in a moment, space reveals itself as lover and healer. Perhaps. Such fine writing, as near to music as..

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Your words have totally captured the essence of this poem. Zanzibar is within us, and the places we choose it to be. We are those beautiful places, and though the colors may deviate slightly by nature's painting its spirit remains the same. Lover, healer, Mother, Father, the divine bliss that exists within us all, and which our souls yearn to return too. Nirvana, heaven, the infinite, love. It is in those revealed moments we are at our perfection. And have finally found home. Thank you Emmajoy for reading the true meaning of this poem and sharing your eloquent words.

[emmajoy]

Sometimes we need gently peel back outer layers and search for our reasons before rather than after our actions?

[Chris Shaw]

Rhyming couplets work so well here Carlos, but of course the content is far more important. A poem of spirituality which makes dreams of Zanzibar so appealing. May you ever wander in her streets in your dreams.

Chris

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

thank you Chris for the kind review. I wanted to capture the imagery as best as I could. Like a bird flying over a beautiful ancient holy city. Experiencing its soul through flashes of scenes in the streets above in the skies. Tethered in both spiritual and the physical. And the song of the sufi in solemnic prayer driving me through this journey. You are so correct that at its heart is spirituality and our strive toward providence. Thank you again.

[Chris Shaw]

A bird in flight represents spirituality to me. I wrote a piece called Escape which was about the night owl in flight. I wrote it when we were experiencing the fear of our first lockdown. I just wanted to be carried away with that bird at that time.

Chris

[Davidgeo]

I like your rhyme scheme.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you so much for your kind review. I appreciate it. In most things I write I always make the effort to create an atmosphere that ignites our human senses as well as stimulate our thoughts. It's very important to make the reader have a visceral experience in the reading and also an association to the theme. To empathize on an emotional level. Like painting a portrait in words. Challenge the reader to join you in a unique experience with you as a storyteller or poet. Work around the message by finding descriptive or power words to hold true to the ideology you seek to define. Sometimes it takes a single sentence that inspires the totality of the theme you are bringing to life. For this poem it was the chanting of the sufi and the name Zanzibar. I painted around the edges of them to create the poem as a whole. Its inspiration though was an influence of the great poet writer Khalil Gibran. He also influenced a similar poem I wrote called When the Prophet spoke. Thank you again for your review.

[Davidgeo]

There is a simplicity in your poetry that you lack in your review response. Ha... I'm just f****n with you. I really appreciate your cerebral approach to writing. It's difficult to write like that.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

No, thank you, I can't stop laughing at your response. I needed that laugh so thank you. My lit teacher back in 81 was the one that actually gave me that advice, though he said I would get too wordy at times or overly descriptive. Which I have to agree with him on it hahaha. And I'm horrible at editing my own work. It's a total pain, but it's very important. Especially if you want to draw in your readers and give them a profound and contemplative experience. It's worth the extra effort despite the drag. Another thing though I would suggest writing something out of your comfort zone. That has really helped me so much in better understanding different styles and genres of writing. And never expect perfection. Your work is always malleable and changing even the stories you may have already submitted. Can't tell you enough how many times I have gone back to add or remove parts of work I previously thought complete. I hope this can be a bit helpful. This community of writers have always been constructive and encouraging. I feel luck to have found this place. Thanks again for the conversation and laughs.

[Davidgeo]

If you're gonna get wordy this is the place to do it. If you're gonna diverge from your comfort zone, this is also the place to do it. Perfection is fools gold, it's not a real thing. Articulating yourself the best you can with a degree of confidence however, that is the sign of well formed writer's mind. At least I think so anyway. I make a point to not get to talkative because I tend to say stupid s**t. It's not a self concious thing, it's more like a self awareness thing. You don't seem to have that problem, so keep on keeping on with your wordiness. There is some insight in there and that's always nice. This site is, after all, kinda sorta made for that kind of thing.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I agree with many of your assessments, Dave. Also, I myself totally tend to over stay my welcome in banter lol. In my mid 50s now I tend to speak my mind and say what I feel because I know now that opportunity may never come again. So if I could provide a bit of insight or help to someone in need I don't hesitate because I enjoy helping. Plus being this old I can smell the scent of death outside my door, at least I hope it's death and not another bag of s**t left by the neighborhood kids. Thank for the enjoyable conversation, friend.

[Davidgeo]

Are you familiar with a TS Eliot poem named The Hollow Men?

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

In high school back in the early 80s my teacher read some lines of TS Eliot work. It was way over my head back then. Poetry has been often a weakness in my writing. In this part of calif we were pushed more toward Steinbeck. Robert Brownings Childe Roland dark tower came was the extent of Poetry that captured my imagination. But reading Hollow Men and seeing the amalgamation of several ideas and images of dark profound nihilism and a feel of madness, especially the Kurtz reference, and ending stanza of this is how the world ends. There is no denying the beauty in the bleak images it paints. And the haunting themes that define it.

[Davidgeo]

The lines "shape without form/ shade without color" had a particular affect on me throughout the years. Even to this day, if affects how I define life, how I define purpose. When I was deployed back in the 2000's TS was very helpful to me. Not so much the Hollow Men but a poem called The Wasteland. That is my most beloved piece of poetry. It combines many things, some dark and some satirical and some just... I don't know. It's not a simple piece. Eliot is somewhat underrated these days. You have to pay attention over a long period of time when you read him, and I suppose that's why he's kinda fallen by the wayside. He is not easily digestible. But if you take the time, his work is quite exquisite.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you, Sami, for your kind review. The line about the sufi chant is also one of my favorite parts of the poem. It brings life and sound into the body of the work, and in my hopes makes the reader feel that they are there in this mystical place. I enjoyed writing this poem because it felt alive and real in its descriptive presentation. A place where I would love to be and experience. A culture of pure beauty, and spiritual awakening.

[Sami Khalil]

Wow! Did not know that. You are a very talented and rich with imaginings which is great. I love the Sufis' and their reference. I love mysticism in general.