Poetry - the ONLY way to touch the soul of a person!

I remember when I was a 5 year old stud...ppl asking me - What do you want to be when you grow up?

I bet this is one of those questions EVERY child has been asked! In my case the answer started off with a Clown to Cartoonist to Jet-fighter to Fashion designer to Chartered Accountant and now back to Clown again! I guess the asnwer to this question lies in what appeals to a person at the present point in time. Making people happy, making them smile, easing their problems/ pain and making them forget their sorrows and for a second feel as light as a feather!

Hmmmm...humanitarian talk (hehehe join UNICEF) but there lies a humanitarian in everyone of us, so no biggy!

I tell you what is a biggy though...I asked this girl what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied "A Poet!". I asked her "WHY?" and she replied "I want to touch their souls!". Plain, simple, white, flawless, innocent and bias free thought! I like kiddies...they are the only people in the world I don't fear.

I'm 26 now (a fairly understanding age), and when I hear ghazals/ poetry written by Faiz, Roomi, Ghalib, Iqbal, Waris Shah, Bhullay Shah, TS Elliot, John Keats, Shakespear, Wordsworth...I feel! I feel those words! They make me think! I'm thankful to my Lord to be given the gift of perfect hearing well if not perfect speaking (hehehe believe it or not I used to stammer in school). I now the words dork and nerd come to mind...trust me that I'm not!

I'm not that good at urdu, never was. My teachers always said "Ahmed it would be a miracle the day you're able to put down two correctly spelled words in urdu togather on paper!". I've yet to see that day! But reading them is a pleasure and plus I usually consult Baba on what they mean.


Baba - a man of a few words . But those few words he chooses have the whole world in them!


"...Jaisay beemaar ko bay wajha qaraar aa jayee" (from the Rubbai titled Raat by Faiz Ahmed Fiaz)

Roughly translated - ...Just as if a dieing man feels peace for no reason

Its night time and Faiz is relating this to memories of someone he loves so much! Makes me smile, makes me sad, makes me loose myself in thought. Have you ever cried yourself to sleep thinking about someone?

I remember crying myself to sleep remembering God and I also remember crying myself to sleep remembering my grand mother (Bari Ami) who died this May 2005. The only closest person to me!

I'm listening to Faiz right now and writing as I go along. My thought tempo might not make sense but I have these words of a poet to blame!


I LOVE YOU BARI AMI! I KNOW YOU BELONG TO THE LIGHT SIDE...BUT YOU HAVE SOMEONE HERE ON THE DARK SIDE WHO LOVES YOU TOO! THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME HOW TO SMILE!