Iqra's Reflections

Only the impoverished hearts are enshrouded in Pride And backbones, as if of steel. Stiff: They fear break and bent. So walk away. You will find peace. A mind that thinks cannot be caged. Freedom to choose on what to think and believe is its oxygen. It will rather be destroyed than be imprisoned. 

Lessons are not learnt in a class room. Nor do they stop coming when we graduate or post-graduate. This world is an institution, more or less. And we come across people who teach us great lessons. Some experiences have altered my view of perfection, heroism, beauty and leadership. I have met some, to whom I didn’t even talk. I don’t know who they were, where did they come from and what were their circumstances but I call them my acquaintances, and they are among my heroes. I want to write about them today: It was a beautiful evening in San Francisco. The fancy Yacht was swarming with people, all dressed up. Tables were full of a variety food and desserts. I could hardly try a few of them, they were so many. It was so beautiful. Finally, like everything else in this world, that party came to an end. The Crew bid us all a warm farewell. Everyone was happy. When I got off, and was walking to the exit, a guy coming from a distance caught my attention and I wondered ...

I have never liked weapons and nuclear or nuclear weapons. Taking these names, for me, is like swallowing pointed cubes of hard ice. Imagine my state of mind when I found myself sitting in a seminar on the topic. I tried to step out of my shoes as a poet and made some attempts to understand the phenomenon. There were certain interesting aspects that made it to my observation. A poet understands the world down to its delicate details; every fiber of humanity that suffers due to the nuclear, be it experiments, weapons, attacks etc and writes about them. He wants that nobody should suffer, too ideal a situation to wish for, I know.  When the experts of nuclear security think, they think with a top to bottom approach. They think how to plan a program that saves the inhabitants from the potential threats. If one country has nuclear weapons, the other must have them for safety. And when there are combats, ‘casualties’ happen too. Those who write and paint their brushes ...

The sky was different today. There was life, emotions and passion. It seemed to be celebrating the return of a beloved. "How similar we are oh sky" thought Fatima. For her happiness had no measure. Her husband was getting back. He would reach any hour of the night. Abu Hamde who had been a captive in the prison of Israel for six months. He worked as chef to make ends meet. Impatiently had he waited for this day. The day he will be going back to his lovely wife who had shared the news of him becoming father of a boy she had named hamza. He couldn't wait to see his son. To take him in his arms. To tell him the stories of brave Palestinian souls who had stood for the rights of the country, to tell him how much had he had wanted to see him, to tell him about the responsibility that lies on his fragile shoulders to get his country rid of the bloodshed and the massacre that was going on. Once upon a time his mother had told him the same. Her wrinkled eyes had seen many o...