Harmony: POEMS BY ZEENAT
IQBAL HAKIMJEE (JR89MH02)
PREFACE
I was in perfect harmony with nature
when I wrote these poems. Autumn a season with falling leaves and bare trees is
considered by most as gloomy, but oddly enough it inspired me to put pen to
paper to make this humble effort of writing these poems.
This is my first attempt at writing
poetry and probably leaves a lot to be desired but encouragement is what is
required.
I sincerely hope that you would
enjoy reading these poems as I have writing them.
ZEENAT
IQBAL HAKIMJEE
GARDEN
OF EDEN
My
spirit soars up to the sky,
As
I on the lush green carpet lie.
Ecstasy
envelopes my always
…melancholy
heart,
As,
sudden wind blown ripples,
In
the pond start.
As
the winter suns, warm rays,
Caress
my being I do sway
Frolicking
and frisking, from here to there,
Like
a lamb, the desire, I wish to bear.
May
you bloom forever, my Garden of Eden,
Make
my thoughts soar upto, The Seventh Heaven.
NO MORE TEARS
As
you leave for greener pastures,
Tears
flown down the cheeks at your departure.
The
migrating bird flutters its wings,
Over
for it, is the season to sing.
The
Bentley turns round the corner
Disappears
from sight, now and forever.
I
shall miss your nudge and touch,
For
our friendship others could vouch.
But
since the ‘Sea of Gold’ is at a distance,
Leave
for it right now, this instance.
WHEATHER
GENUINE CAUSE OF ANGER?
Enraged
I stroll towards
The
counter,
To
involve myself in
A
brutal encounter;
The
salesman gave me rupees
Five
less,
A
gruesome mistake that
He
should confess,
Was
the well aware
Of
it,
Or
did the mistakingly
Di
it,
Remains
to be seen
Or
is it
My
frustration built in.
POSSESSION
I own you, your every movement is mine
To do as I please
Why did you do this why did you do that
Raise your voice, or your eyelid bat
Its our of the question I won’t let you out of my
sight
You belong to me only to me, you are my birth right
Just the other day your momentary absence felt like
multitude
Was it the toilet or were you astray,
I am suspicious, you I possess.
Do not leave me, I shall feel the betray,
Your look and smile elsewhere, your touch
Are all for me, me only,
From others, to be kept at bay
Do not ever make a start with darling, for another,
It will make the other want to come hither
I feel bold and beautiful in your presence
But am at a loss in your absence
I own, you, you I possess,
THE BANANA
So
I am meant to be fed to the monkey,
Wail
till you have an encounter with my peel,
Without
the night, stars you shall see,
For
still life I join hands with friend apple,
Different
shapes of me decorate a cocktail
I
lie on the table as the knife slices me open,
An
incision in my centre, split into pieces,
My
seed in you sprout a plant
The
likes of which you have to see to believe,
They
should call you sprout a plant
I
make ‘shakes’ about the reference
What
you treasure to eat,
Out
of which you should not make mincemeat
LEARN FROM YOUR
MISTAKES
While
jogging I tripped over lace,
Next
time tied my shoes with grace,
I
sang out of tune at the dinner,
Practice,
well almost made me a crooner,
I
fell when somebody pulled the chair away
Brushed
my right hand, to my Utter dismay,
It
was my turn, I said
Tit
for tat,
And
hurt to my content,
The
guilty brat,
In
the run with,
Trail
and error
I
have grown to be
A
lot wiser.
SACRIFICE
It
seemed like my paradise was there to stay,
Everything
I always wanted I possessed,
To
hold to cherish till, I was dead
The
envy of the crowd, I swayed to the rhythm
My
heart heat and my breath hummed,
We
were five in all, two boys and a girl,
The
mild summer and a picnic by the beach
Snowflakes
on the mountains not our of reach
On
holiday or at work
Happiness
and contentment always at my doorstep,
Suddenly
fate started changing for worse,
The
truth came home, not an act to rehearse,
He
had to leave my side for greener pastures,
The
children went along, all for one, one for all,
I
was left all alone, to wipe my tears,
One
my one they left me for a motionless floor,
I
was all alone, all alone.
COMPANIONSHIP
Hold
my hand, take me to he land,
Where
name nor brand,
Will
come in between true friends,
Shall
go to their house,
Feeling
like a louse,
Smiles,
warmth, mirth and cheer,
Encompass
me from all sides…
Take
me away from my swing of mood,
Feel
I well and good.
True
friendship is hard to find,
With
materialism in mind.
Wherever
you are, come and touch me,
For
mi am abound with sincerity,
A
friend I receive…
To
avoid the mire….
Always
be there.
Give
meaning to my blank stare.
ROMANCE
I
love you, my dearest, my cherub,
The
sunset and sunrise are for me a spectacle & to behold
Because
of your warmth I do not feel the cold
Of
the cloudy, dark winter nights,
Logs
to burn I need not, nor do indeed the light.
Tomorrow
is always a day to look forward to.
In
your company life is a bundle of joy.
A
tear rolls down my cheek, and shines and sparkles
It
beautifies my skin and gives it a certain glow
In
your adulation it had to flow.
I
captured to kitten through your eyes,
And
whispered a lullaby by your sound
Togetherness
should last and last.
I
am in love, I am in love.
GUILT COMPLEX
Enclosed in a shell like a tortoise,
Keeping away from the lively movements &
noise,
My own I fail to recognize,
Do not shake hands with me please
I am no more, no more at ease,
I suffer from a guilt complex,
Was I the one to destroy a friendship
Or lose my temper in a relationship.
The other day I threw some litter on the
road,
Turned a deaf ear to the call for
prayer,
I suffer from a guilt complex
I am amazed at my faults.
Have I them or have I not?
Is it just the state of my mind
Or has somebody without cause have me to
remind
Of a non-existent situation,
Will I ever surface, 1 suffer from a
Guilt Complex.
TILL
DEATH DO US IN
Last night I woke up from a dream,
To realise, that it was not what it
seemed,
My companion for my relaxed hours,
Was wet through and through...
No
I had not done it...
It
was the thunderstorm that possessed it:
I
totalled the time,
That
flew past the chime,
That
rung from my alarm,
To
raise me with charm
Out
indeed I shall pay no heed
The
mattress and I look alike
Bulging
from the sides-out, vital statistics 40,40,40
ENCOUNTER
On
my travels such was my plight,
Did
Gulliver or Passepartout with all their might,
Slip
in a puddle in broad daylight
Were
they bait, to such a trait,
In
their Sunday best waiting for a suitor
Who
would pronounce romance truer
The
mishap with the hair
That
turned bald and bare...
Thinking
of the worlds miseries...
Had
there been no fisheries
No
salmon and no trout
To
bring about a prick in the mouth;
With
the writing to bleed
Promising
a bond in a deed.
HEAVEN IS AT HER
FEET
From
the moment a child opens its eyes.
To
the world and its ties:
She
nurtures it like a steadfast rock,
Right
from pant to frock.
“And
I shall guide you,
On
the path that I walked on,
Before
you came along.
In
sickness and in health,
In
poverty and in wealth,
Whenever
I needed company,
You
gave the note to the harmony.
Sit
tight little one...”
INNOCENCE
As
the child looked with his eyes wide open,
I
thought, on innocence I would write a poem;
Unaware
of the sins committed by society.
Oblivious
of death and calamity:
Playing
with a toy gun in the hand,
As
if the real one has not harmed the land;
Exist,
does a lie, denied,
The
solemn truth will always preside;
Early
in the morning shall I arise...
To
greet with a surprise;
The
coin planted in my garden
Shall
hurst into a tree?
With
the money, chocolates I shall buy
And
build a house, Hansel Gretel style
RESORT TO QUILT
The
dark cold winter night,
Bring
a shudder and a chill to the might
The
star at a distance so high.
Part
oblivious, because of the cloud in the sky,
The
severe, pouring December rain,
From
which even the umbrella covered, refrain.
I
love to stay indoors,
And
protect myself from the downpour.
I
snuggle up warm and cozy in my eider-down quilt,
Watching
television, sipping coffee,
Plunged
on my bed, with my pillow at a slight tilt
LIFE IS SACRED
In
the Garden, the blooming rose.
Tucked
in the vase, in a pose.
The
sweet fragrance, spread in the air,
Lending
grace to an otherwise, room bizarre.
The
rich red velvet of the petals.
The
crowning glory of the green sepals.
The
beauty of this natural piece,
Has
at last now, withered and died;
Reminds
one all the time,
Life
should be lived to the brim,
In
case this virtue is denied.
MY
WEAKNESS IS MY STRENGTH
If
there can be appeal
In
the scar on that face,
I
will take my weakness
With
a lot of grace,
If
every tumble gives you a chance
To
rise erect with a new stance,
When
the going gets tough
The
tough get going
Yesterday,
I fell to-
Get
up again and start moving.
In
the classroom the young boy
From
his neighbour snatched the toy.
The
truck rammed into the car
With
all its might,
Killed
the occupants and threw
Them
out a sight,
The
sky roared with thunder
Scared
stiff as they went down under.
My
weakness shall he my strength,
May
I never misuse it
Even
for one moment.
The
meek shall inherit the earth.
CHILDREN OF A
LESSER GOD
Walking
about in torn and tattered clothes, Looking messy with a running nose.
Crippled,
unable to walk properly,
The
arrogant man, looks at him disdainfully.
The
other day the car almost ran her down,
As
she leaped forward, begging For an aim,
Hand
outstretched, unable to see,
In
the sun, wearing dark glasses,
Makes
him look shady.
For
a cheap rate, They are bought,
Are
they, Children of a Lesser God?
ALL THAT
GLITTERS IS GOLD
The
morning sun shines through the window,
Making
the face beam and glow.
I
suddenly feel the urge, to rise and shine.
My
feelings take a turn, towards
The
lofty and divine,
As
I escape the barricade of my bed,
The
wasted, whiled hours I now dread.
The
sun has injected into me a Potion,
Which
makes me want to drive into motion.
The
golden globe warms the earth,
Returns
the gaiety and the mirth.
BEYOND THE GRASP
Take
your outstretched hand,
See
dreams of the promised land.
Butterflies
in different colours.
Dive
and leap and soar,
Honey
and nectar on the doorstep,
Would
one find such a place on the map.
Where
no misery, no bitterness, no sorrow
Looking
forward always to a better morrow.
This
is what Utopia is all about,
Neither
begged, borrowed nor bought
DEATH UNKNOWN
After
death the era seems
Bleak
and dreary,
Woven
around it an aura of mystery.
Will
I have to repent for my sins,
Or
will I be classed divine.
All
questions answered at the
mercy
of time-
Will
I be in Gods domain.
Or
will me be, Satan slain,
If
I knew distinctly I would
Have
an upper hand.
God
rules supremely over the
Law
of the land.
I
am afraid of the outcome of death
Will
it or will it not be as I suggest
LIFES UPS AND
DOWNS
As
the mountaineer up the mountain ascends,
Traversing
the path that he will have to descend.
At
the sight, an ordinary man
Would
have shuddered.
Up
hills and pitfalls, All a part of life.
Whether
it is easy going or only strife.
Sometimes
an obstacle comes in the way,
Sometimes
it is smooth going all the way,
Lifes
ups and downs add to its totality,
Lending
to it an air of immortality.
LIVE AND LET
LIVE
You
took her out to the
Cosy
restaurant for dinner,
I
was vociferous in-my appeal,
For
you as sinner.
Social
taboos should never erect
A
wall between us,
Otherwise
our relationship
Will
take a turn for the disastrous,
My
catty instincts
Were
aroused by your-
Blast
of voice
If
only I could have told myself
Never
mind, it’s his choice.
The
norm of the day is
Follow
a strict diet
A
pound here or there will not
A
tremendous impact
Make
on the weight
Live
and let live,
Take
and learn to give.
BUZZ OFF TELEPHONE
Be
hold and me apprise
Of
the current inflation and rise
In
atta prices and the general
And
of course dowries too
Acquaint
you I shall with the
So
called water and loo
Escapism
with my telephone
From
the hullabaloo
Hi,
Hullo, how do you do?
Hadn't
we just met
Before
an hour or two
Serves
me right
If
it was hate at first sight,
Out
a sight, sorry upright, my telephone
Bill
read
Not
in units, tens but in hundreds
INNOCENCE
Huddled close by, yet far from
the fire blazing.
Watching the cinders creating in
the light, the night,
Hush, hush in subdued tones they
sat whispering,
The vegetation surrounding them
swaying, to and fro in the door,
The draft humming and wheezing
through the cracks,
In the corner, the phone as
silent as a graveyard,
The settee and settlers
comfortable in its warn embrace,
Victorian paintings in the
background, depicting grace,
The image of romance portrayed,
Tring, tring, the bell of the
telephone sounds,
The wife speaks to her husband’s
company,
Suspicions aroused, seething with
rage and jealously,
She bangs the phone and envisages
the courts,
Breaking the bond of trust that
friendship is all about,
Between man and woman so clean
and so pure,
Yet so distant and aloof to the
short sighted.
TO EACH HIS OWN
May
I have enough tolerance,
Not
to take offence;
At
whatever character trait
The
other may portray:
If
he does not possess....
....A sense of humour
Or
enjoys spreading
Every
once in a while....
A rumour.
Enjoys
coming late,
Or
does not felicitate.
Why
does that foul my mood?
When
I sometimes am up to no good.
Do
I not see reason,
In
the coming season;
What
harm can
A living, loving soul,
Do to my whole?
If
God has pronounced
The
Day of Judgement,
To
account for every one's temperament,
Who
am I to be displeased,
When
somehodv does that or this.
CONFESSIONS OF A
TERRORIST
Possessed
by the devil,
I
strode out to do evil.
With
enmity written large on my face,
Somebody
has to be dad in deaths embrace.
Just
yesterday a child became an orphan,
And
a couple were worried by the ransoms burden.
The
fetters of depression behold the city,
Where
everyday criminals like me enter captivity.
Karachi,
Karachi of yore
Shall
hot surface will not surface
Whilst
I trigger my double barrel bore.
JOY AND SORROW
The
begum dashes by in -
-
Her flashing car,
To
meet a companion at -
-
A destination afar.
At
a meeting point
In
a parlour,
Five
boys voraciously
In
a corner ice Cream devour,
The
silk saris and golden bangles
Glittering
in the light,
The
high heels and the leather purses
Presenting
a sight;
The
beggar in his torn
and
tattered assemblage,
Spreads
out his palm
And
asks for patronage.
MOMENTS OF BLISS
The
mild rays filtering
Through
the tree;
The
winter sun beaming
In
glee,
The
lush green grass
Beneath
me,
Forming
a carpet softly;
The
birds chirping in the trees,
The
insects frolicking from here to there
The
morning dew drops thinning in the warm air;
An
apple in my hand
I
keep the doctor away;
What
more can one ask for
I
to myself say.
I FELT CHEATED
She
was single and lonely,
All
of her belonged to me;
At
the corner of the building
Looking
like a bride,
I
spotted her needing
Help
at her side
Chivalrously
I opted
To
do the needful,
She
seemed thoroughly pleased
And
blissful:
Then
suddenly a car stopped by her,
With
door flung open.
A
man sat inside.
With
wide open arms which did her beckon.
Alas;
To my dismay, i was left alone,
Near
me no more now, but an illusion.
WHAT’S COOKING
la
Ra Rum go the prancing, dancing,
Flames
of the stove,
Amused
by this scenario, is the meat
Being
cooked above.
The
groin softens to the warmth of the fire,
With
the cabbage and potato.
It
forms an empire.
The
unveiling of the platter,
Reveals,
fit for a king, matter.
Copied
from television this recipe
Is
a treat, When near and dear ones,
Altogether
do meet.
COURTSHIP
BETWEEN
THE CAT AND THE
CROW
My
backyard is livened up
By
the cat and the crow.
From
a distance they for each other
A
liking show.
Caw
Caw, Meow Meow they hark & howl.
A
din enough, to disturb the neighbouring fowl
Both
of them perched on the dustbin.
Turn
by turn.
Waiting
for a morsel, from the kitchen to return.
Up
goes the left over meat, in the air,
What
ensues would ashame 'The battle for the chair
BE
PUSHY, FRIEND. WHEN REQUIRED
In
the line of bill payers at the bank,
As
the fairer sex,
If
sick don't just be blank
"Ladies
first", "excuse me, "before you please"
For
deals with unpaid bills,
Ask
for goods back, threat if you will,
Repeat
the request for a job.
You
may make it from the mob,
Instead
of standing, share the seat on the bus
Isn1t
it much better than making a fuss,
Whatever
you do during tug-o-war, do not push the rope
Or
you'll be the laughing stock amidst cries of,
"What
a dope",
Sometimes an obstacle comes in the way,
Sometimes it is smooth going all the way,
Life’s ups and downs add to its totality,
Lending to it an air of immortality.
