Learning to Breathe

BECAUSE YOU SAID, "ENJOY!" It's getting harder to enjoy the day When the neighbour's son is questioned For growing his beard, When the girl with a cloth Over her head Is mocked for having no sense Of progress, of modernity, of civilization. It's getting harder to enjoy the day When the little girl With the foreign sounding name Is the last to be picked On the cricket team, When elders warn the young, Don't say it aloud Don't send it as a message Delete everything you have When all you have is nothing. Nothing upon nothing upon nothing. It's getting harder to enjoy the day When a mob murders a man Cutting him to pieces Ecstatic in celebration, While they stay busy Studying the type of meat He was carrying, And they are still Ecstatic in celebration. It's getting harder to enjoy the day When they say They all say They have weapons Weapons to protect the land, (To guar

FLYING VICTORY A glorious passion unknown to me, Of valour, of courage, silenced today, When a holy force plunged, battled away The scarlet monuments of history. Then unfurled the golden wings of victory And opened gates of jewels, spoils to stay, A spirit rising, flying to its sway To meet the host of godly company. Stabbed and wounded the body now remains A son, brother, father, fallen again And I complain of Time slipping away! May the banner fly as high as those wings May it envelop the world in its care And may a martyr never die in vain! - Maryam Kaleem The Battle of Mu'tah was fought in 629 AD (8th year after Hijrah), between the Muslims and the Eastern Roman Empire. The battle is remembered among Muslims for the bravery and courage of the martyrs, most notably, that of Zayd bin Haritha, Abdullah bin Rawaha and Ja'far bin Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with them).  Ja'far lost both of his arms in b

THE NEW RELEASE Rough, muddied hands, Innocent, yet weathered, A child of the streets Orphaned and disowned by Love. A breeding ground of emptiness. Round, wide eyes Of chocolates and diamonds Twinkling by the light of the passing car. But a mischievous smirk Yellow from ear to ear Reveals the blackened mind. Bewitched by Fate Riding his thoughts, His hands stretch to gather all All, all that survive, All that thrive All that are happy, bold and alive. While Fate's puppets dance Through light and shadow, Arrows shoot from his once round eyes. Hands muddied and bloodied, Heads splintered and sullied, Threads snapped with the greed Of a child with gluttonous zeal. With a new scene behind, Puppets, curtains fall to the floor, Now showing hunger and laughter and gore! Met by an audience of gasps and claps And chants of encore -  Now in Hundreds, now in Dozens, Until One screams "No more! No more!"