Poetry
Swat
Wrapped up in million stars this old sky,
As they stare from little windows of existence
From the wooden bridge, in the mountains
As the mist rises in its colors of remembrance,
There lies the valley, where beauty is suicidal
There lies home, where protection is nature
All in there, fleeting glance or permanence
The old days of reflection, spent in between
As [...]
In Memory of Ahmed Faraz
I remember his verses
In his trails, words of revolution
In his thoughts, words of gold
Now carry we will, in our way
In continuation, to find
What became a dream?
For the poet, for our friend
A blessed soul, of our own
Not borrowed, not stolen
One of our own, the Faraz
We will miss him and words
That breathed revolution
Death can only bring whispers
But [...]
Long Live Pakistan
As they sway in with their voices
Of change, with promises of difference
Nowhere to be seen, the architects
Just simple glances, just the routine
Celebrate we will, our poverty and hunger
As we roll these flags, across our chests
Long live Pakistan, long live our nation
Only hope, only hope and just the prayers
Where voices are heard, in its echoes
Where promises [...]
It Is All What I Have
It is all what I have,
My soul and my existence
Imprinted and embedded
In these lines, drawn and felt
In this star and crescent
Long are those trails and hidden
Stories of my ancestors
Some in me and some in graves
In its lap, intoxicated in its slumber
My old remains, my ancestors
Years it takes to build this oasis
Which we all call home [...]
The Flag’s Complaint : a Poetic Pledge!
Guest Post by Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi
In this poem, the flag of Pakistan summons the common Pakistani citizen and expresses its grief on the countrywide mourning of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, moreover it levels some complaints and reminiscences old times!
17 crore people asleep and someone cried
wake up from apathy, Bhutto died!
Sea of tears, a nation [...]
Aik Mehkoom Apney Neem Hakeem Se
Guest Post Sophia Ali
Does anyone remember the incomparable Malika Pukhraj singing “Abhi to main Jawan hoon”? I have evoked Hafeez Jalandhari sahib’s hypnotic cadences with a dash of black humour and a burning question about missing Pakistanis. I use the word Hakeem on purpose rather than Hakim to denote the self appointed Dictator/Doctor of [...]
This Grain Of Truth - A tribute to Muneer Malik
Guest post by Sophia Ali
An immeasurable wave of rage and pride rises up in me every time I watch the video of Muneer Malik speaking from his hospital bed. Here is a Pakistani hero whose voice was tortured to a whisper, yet they couldn’t subdue the volume of his incredible spirit, a radiance that empowers [...]
