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Shaheen Dil: Properties of the Number Nineteen
What if Nineteen tells no story,
prefigures nothing?
What if it has no historic implacability,
no forward motion?
It is an odd number—
not odd as in not even,
but peculiar, unexpected.
It is a prime number divisible only by itself and one.
Every nineteen years the moon will appear in the same position
among the stars—the Metonic cycle.
The lunar and solar cycles coincide every nineteen years.
It is the beginning and the end of single digits.
It is Kuan Yin, goddess of Mercy.
It is Wahid, the one, one of the 99 names of God.
There are nineteen angels guarding the gates of Muslim Hell—
which seems odd—who would be trying to break into Hell?
Or is it to keep the residents from getting out?
It is the number of units of time—
days, hours, weeks, years—
revolutions of the wheel,
trees, birds, things which can be counted.
I count them as I can.
Whatever it is I count, the worry starts at eighteen,
because,
inexorably,
Nineteen will be next, and then I wonder,
why now?
Why does Nineteen keep me up at night?
Make me sleep by day?
Why does it hang around my house—
there, behind the hydrangeas,
earlier, lurking in the alleyway—
a long-unwanted guest
who will not take the hint to go?
Copyright 2023 Shaheen Dil
Shaheen Dil is the author of Acts of Deference (Fakel, 2016). Her new collection The Boat-maker’s Art will be published in 2024. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Love it!
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Thanks, Arlene.
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Someone else. I should know there will always be another. 19 and 9. These two. So often appear to me from nowhere.
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One of the best poems I have ever read! Bravo to you dear Shaheen !
Apart from its complete and perfect beauty, this poem gives interesting scientific information to the reader. And the surprising aspect of it is great. I haven’t read such a deep and attractive poem in a long time. I wish I could find other poems of this poet on the internet and see other poems with this level of perfection and beauty.
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Thank you, Farideh!
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Thank you, Farideh. I am gratified you enjoyed my poem.
Shaheen
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