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Muslim Youth Musings
Poem

The End of the Road

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This piece is part of the Highway Hypnosis Collection.
 

Abbi: I’m so excited for the weekend!

          Aabid: It’s Tuesday…

Abbi: I can’t wait to be out on the trail again!

          Aabid: Too bad my flashlight is broken…

Abbi: Phew…. Time for lunch, the morning went by so fast!

          Aabid: There’s back to back meetings all afternoon…

Abbi: IT’S HUMP DAY! Should all be downhill from here!

          Aabid: Two more days of this, not sure how much more I can take….

Abbi: It’s Friday – this is the last email, I’m done!

          Aabid: I still have to pack tonight…

Abbi: Finally the open road, finally out of the city!

          Aabid: 3 more hours to go…

Abbi: Okay great, time to exit — we’re almost there!

          Aabid: The GPS says we’re still 26 minutes away

Abbi: The trailhead is here, time to stretch my legs!

          Aabid: All that walking still to do, I’m going to be so tired…

Abbi: Finally done with the hike uphill, now the trail can slow down a bit!

          Aabid: There’s another mountain in the distance.

Abbi: I’m beat – can’t wait to get home!

          Aabid: Back to work on Monday, rinse and repeat…

Author’s Note: Highway Hypnosis is a piece about some of the frustrations and anxiety that come with what we call “coming of age.” This three-part poem is a deep dive into the experience of dealing with the self doubt and angst that comes with the process, each part adopting a separate perspective marking different stages of development along the “road.”
 
Part 1, or “End of the Road” is an internal dialogue in which the narrator is outwardly attempting to embody positivity, but their inner voice seems to reign that attempt back. The restraints coming from the more pessimistic words of the narrator’s inner self set us up for a futility that frustrates the narrator to process and deliver the (much more monologic) second part of this piece, titled “Shifting Gears.”

Always an advocate of North Texas, Aabid grew up in the DFW suburbs of Grapevine and Euless. While in college, he developed an interest in spoken word and written poetry and competed in competitions with MSA Lone Star Council as well as through on campus organizations at Southern Methodist University. After graduating with a BBA in Business Management and a BA in Philosophy, he transitioned into a career in Technology Consulting, where he helps government clients implement systems to better process applications for their healthcare-related programs.

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