The Secret Room

There was a hidden room
once upon a time
A small, forgotten place
in one of her father’s mansions

It may once have been
servant’s quarters
or maybe a storage area
She didn’t know

But she claimed it as her own

She covered the walls
with song lyrics
from her favorite songs
Writing them in English
not the graceful Arabic script
that her father preferred

She would often linger there
alone, or sometimes with her sisters
sharing private thoughts
and doing forbidden things

It was her secret room

One day it was discovered
and it was taken away
The walls were painted over
and she was told
to never enter it again

But the secret room is not gone

It is still here, with me
In my memory, and in my heart
Still unpainted
and undiscovered

And it still exists
in a black and white picture
of a beautiful woman
with a delicate smile