Day 22: earthy poem
Boundaries are drawn and redrawn.
Trenches are dug, and wires are laid out.
Billions and trillions of bricks are covering the surface.
Trees and forests are being ruthlessly cut off.
Seven continents and five oceans are arbitrarily changed and exchanged.
The number game about the territorial units is never-ending.
The race to exploit every bit of viable resource out of Mother Earth is being fought by her children.
Her sons and daughters are bent upon destroying her at every cost.
No one can agree on the magnitude of destruction.
No one wants to accept the responsibility and hold others responsible for…
Day 7: Emotive Poem
If someone dies,
people rally around to console them.
If someone falls sick,
people rush to take care of them.
If someone falls,
people run to help them out.
Messages are conveyed for condolences.
Cards are sent with get-well-soon messages.
There is silence when divorce is discussed.
There is discomfort when the topic is brought up.
There is disbelief if the divorce is finalized.
There is vagueness about the technicalities of divorce.
Truth be told, no protocols are available for this special event.
To describe it as the most painful thing will be an understatement.
There are some unsaid things hanging in…
A poem
Let me come into this world-please let me get born.
I’m your flesh and blood.
I’m your heart and soul.
I’m as good as your son.
Let me come into this world- please give me a chance.
I promise I will never disappoint you.
I promise I will fulfil all your expectations.
I promise I will never give you a reason to complain.
Let me come into this world- take a leap of faith.
I’ll always keep you happy.
I’ll always fill your house with laughter.
I’ll always take care of you.
© Fatima Imam
*This piece is dedicated to…
Knowledge amplifies fortitude.
Knowledge solidifies faith.
Knowledge magnifies fallacy.
Knowledge authenticates facts.
Knowledge grounds us.
Knowledge motivates us.
Knowledge fascinates us.
Knowledge connects us.
Aim of existence is the pursuit of knowledge.
Ailment of existence is a lack of knowledge.
Alteration of existence is an amendment of knowledge.
Advancement of existence is the perfection of knowledge.
Be overwhelmed by knowledge.
Be overjoyed by knowledge.
Be over-indulgent about knowledge.
Be overprotective of knowledge.
Knowledge bestows piety.
Knowledge brings humility.
Knowledge breeds fecundity.
Knowledge becomes philosophy.
Discourse beckons knowledge.
Diversity balances knowledge.
Dominance bends knowledge.
Deviance blurs knowledge.
Dichotomy blocks knowledge.
Desolation binds…
The metamorphosis from a Historian to a Poet
After spending 50+ years on the planet, I am just living for myself and enjoying every moment. I’ll like to call myself a student of life. Being born in an intellectually wealthy family in India’s most culturally diverse cities, Lucknow, gave me a clear perspective that knowledge leads to success. I stuck to my path for the next thirty years: finishing degrees, making friends and getting married. Well! I gradually discovered that the universe would teach me invaluable lessons about trust, financial security, confidence, and self-respect. …
The pain of betrayal
A dictum to be followed
A chosen path to survive
To be happy, irrespective of sadness.
To be healthy, irrespective of ailments.
To be positive, irrespective of calamities.
To be trustworthy, irrespective of mistrust.
To feel rich despite the absence of wealth.
To feel liberated despite insurmountable barriers.
To feel blessed despite the decades of the debacles.
To feel inspired despite questionable life choices.
Fate would not decide how one should feel internally.
Society would not dictate how one has to behave externally.
Failure would not be given leverage to dissuade oneself from being worry-free.
No one would dispute the extent of one’s self-worth.
© Fatima Imam (All Rights Reserved)
With trials and tribulations
Following the well-trodden path flawlessly.
Faltering the steps and then forging new ones.
Filling the designated roles faithfully.
Forgiving those who were unfaithful.
Fulfilling the responsibilities with ease.
Functioning without support to provide for the loved ones.
Fashioning a lifestyle attuned to other peoples’ expectations.
Forcing goals that proved to be self-deprecating.
Growth came with adaptability.
Gratitude came with acceptance.
Grit came with accountability.
Great attitude came with self-affirmation.
Now, contentment is overflowing.
Courage is undaunting.
Crises are easily managed.
Core values are intact.
© Fatima Imam (All Rights Reserved)
Thank you so much, Diana C., …
Dr. Fatima Imam
Poet, writer, teacher and cat lover.
