A Dream
A dream unfinished
Shame abounds
The yearning and the hoping
Has turned to longing, empty longing
It’s painful
In the moments of grief
Some beauty sparkles
Shows its light
Though small
A sky of faint stars in a polluted sky
Peace
Comes from One
It’s blind, it’s foolish
Vaporized in the ether
Dreams are more foolish
Dreams are for the dead
A reckoning for past sacrifice
A meager bid to command what’s to come
I have no jurisdiction
In this chaotic court
The sinner and the prey
Who is one, who is the other?
The Turkish delight
Today is for the spirit
I go head first
What’s to come
Unknown to me
And unknown to you
The dream is vitality
The dance of the soul
The stars are in the eyes
Passion paints the canvas
Joy whispers the tale
Of my merit and worth
I am the judge and the jury
I am the sinner and the prey
The Aslan of my soul
I choose the verdict
I paint the canvas
I tell the story
I am the dream.
Paki Queen
Bold, but graceful
Firm in my values
Humility, simplicity
That is Pakistan
I’ve never been
To my homeland
My heartland
But my home lives within my heart.
A Hot 12 Seconds: An Ode to Self-Love
This is awkward.
Do they want me to talk?
They’re not saying anything.
What does this silence mean?
Should I say something?
Is it me, or is it them?
They must hate me.
They must hate that I’m not talking.
I hate that I’m not talking.
I hate that I’m not loved.
I hate that I don’t love
Me.
HIJABI
See me for me.
Judge me for the words I speak
And the knowledge I bring.
You may not lay eyes on my hair or my body,
For those are not of the mind but of the flesh.
​
I am empowered.
I am power.
I wear the ideals of my faith, my religion, for all to see.
I am Muslim - so you can greet me:
Salaam alaykum
Peace be upon you.
I wish you peace, the greatest human desire.
​
Do not mistake my modesty for shame.
Do not mistake my devotion for weakness.
Do not mistake my submission to the will of Allah for foolishness.
I am humble, but I am not meek.
I dress my head with the truth that I believe in,
While you may wear your heart on your sleeve.
The Lives Lost
Today, 18,000 in Gaza
6 million in the Holocaust
How many in slavery?
In famine, war, genocide?
And in hate crimes? Remember George Floyd, a martyr.
And what about veterans who fight for our safety? So we can remain in peace with our families.
What about them?
What is humanity?
Release. Release the anger. Release the tension.
Laugh, be joyful, in glee.
Learn from the past, but do not punish for the past.
Push towards good, pull others up.
How must we do it?
We are only human.
We are only human.
Push through the anger, the grief, the hurt and the pain.
Soften your gaze, soften your tongue.
Mama says:
Say please and thank you
Sorry
I’m sorry.
Dance
Sing
Paint
Write
Express.
How can we rectify what our ancestors have gone through, and what our ancestors have done? How can we account for past suffering and sin?
How can we be good in the here-and-now?
How can we mourn the lives lost and honor their dreams?
Together, with forgiveness, and compassion, for ourselves and others.
May we mourn the lives lost, may we honor their dreams, may we cherish their hearts, their love, their families, by learning from each other, forgiving each other, today, in this moment.
One life is lost, but ours is still here.
What will we do with it?
What will we do?
