TWO VIEWS OF OLD HABBA KADAL BRIDGE AND A POEM OF ALI SARDAR JAFRI

(One More Dream )

Dreams forged into our hearts' naive fire
now lie beyond fancy's boundries.
Here, in the real burning wasteland,
The helpless sands, the searing mirages,
No one can find again
Even one day of childhood,
Give once more one moment of youth, gone by.
Forlorn smilies can shed no sunshine,
Severed hands hold forth no rose.
Are such things shadows of memory,
Or do the lie etched deep in stone?


Who can revise the book of our lives?
On once storm-tossed waters,
Blind eyes float aimlessly,
Empty as bubbles
The shimmering twilight, the blazing sun:
Both glow with the blood of friends.
Who knows where our bypaths may lead us?
Who can reckon up hopes disappointed?
How long must we seek help to dry our tears,
While whirpools of blood snatch at our robes?
The silence stares at every face.
No one can tell why
The tounge balks at speaking.
Questions go begging from door to door,
But answers slip off like convicts.
O spirit of rebellion,
I, your vagabond poet,
Fearless, despoiled,
I summon you once again.
Assault again the mountains of passion.
Forge one more dream, Courage, beloved,
Fierce courage, who thrives on adversity.
( Ali sardar jafri )

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.