When Morning Died

When Morning rose to wake the Arab eyes
From long colonial sleep, tears turned to smiles
And country song-and-dance redeemed the skies
And dabki arms, entwined, stretched out for miles.

When with blithe voice, Sabah, our Morning, sang
The crescents flickered and the church bells rang
And music fluttered far with wings of light
Stretching the festive eves into the night.

When Morning died, the sunrise wore a shroud
And tears washed off the smiles in every crowd
And country music scurried home to mourn
Because its flapping wings of light were shorn.

Four score and more, the Arab’s Morning shone
Now that she’s gone, the sun is all alone. 

*Sabah is a Lebanese iconic singer and actress who died on November 2014