This Battle is Inborn by Maryam Imogen Ghouth

The sun holds a war—
inward pull and outward fire—
I am made of her.

by Maryam Imogen Ghouth

This haiku reflects the Sun’s internal tension—a delicate equilibrium between the inward pull of gravity and the outward force of nuclear fusion. It is this ongoing balance that keeps the Sun stable and radiant. In a world that often demands binary choices—light or dark, order or chaos—this cosmic tension reminds us that life itself depends on the coexistence of opposing forces and that we, like the Sun, are shaped by contradiction. 

Further reading:

‘Origin and Nature of the Sun’, 2021, Nationales, M., NASA Science Learn, available: https://science.nasa.gov/learn/heat/resource/origin-and-nature-of-the-sun-by-marvin-nationales/ 

Author bio:

Maryam Imogen Ghouth is a literary artist working across written, audio, and visual poetry. Her work has appeared in several literary journals, including Sky Island and Last Leaves, and in award-winning films, such as Under the Sun. Her films, including Not Alone, have been awarded at over 30 film festivals.

Find out more at www.maryamghouth.com and follow Maryam on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/maryamghouth

Read more sciku by Maryam: ‘Rejection’ and ‘A Little Pain Goes a Long Way’.