My Name Is Jamal

I got inspired for this poem from the kid in this video:-LINK-http://www.upworthy.com/a-news-team-risked-their-lives-to-uncover-this-story-they-wanted-you-to-see-the-horror-yourself-2?c=reccon1So I highly recommend you to watch the video before proceeding to read the poem. Also the reason I chose the name 'Jamal' is because Jamal in Arabic language means 'beautiful', and I feel this kid is beautiful not solely by appearance but actually the work he is doing is what truly makes him beautiful and brave. I really feel inspired by his patience and maturity. 

The sound of sirens fills the night air,

Another casualty on its way,

As the stretchers are pulled out and relatives pulled away,

We get to work, no time to stare.

Fourteen, Twenty-four, Fifty-four years old,

Seem like just numbers without names or souls,

We try to be numb as we try to be bold,

The pain is so much that we cannot hold.

Screaming, wailing, praying,

As the names are called out of the departed,

You may have not seen a people so unguarded, unprotected,

As they stand before the lifeless bodies helplessly mourning.

This same scene I witness every day,

The same story just different faces,

I work here in this place,

Wearing an oversized white coat I start my day.

I’m twelve but I have a job to hold,

The place where I live everybody works,

Not by choice but by circumstance,

Each one here plays an important role.

If once a while someone is alive,

We try our best to keep them so,

We fall short of medical aid though,

As the injured are more than the supplies.

Where I should be going to school,

Laugh and play with other kids,

Here I am tending people with special needs,

Here I stand playing with medical tools.

We don’t know how long will it be,

In fear each night we close our eyes,

Wondering if we’ll get to see the next sunrise,

A few wake up while others are put to a permanent sleep.

This may sound like fiction to many,

Like something out of a book,

I wish this was a movie to speak the truth,

My name is Jamal and this is my real life story.

We make peace not wars,

We do unto others better than what was done to us,

We are not heroes we are just survivors,

We wish for you just what we wish for us.

I believe everything ends and all evil falls,

Nothing lasts forever, nothing stays,

With faith and hope we will continue to pray,

May God make it stop and May God comfort all.

-Yusra.Shaikh

                                                                        

One Last Look.

Some words which were not spoken,

Some promises which were not fulfilled,

Some relations left unbroken,

Yet some hands which are no longer held.

All set and standing by the door,

I take one last look inside,

That familiar house with the checkered floor,

The slideshow of memories starts in my mind.

Here it was where the stories began,

Here it was where a lot was learnt,

With you in it my world was never the same,

You could make me laugh till it hurt.

Reading each other’s thoughts,

Completing each other’s sentences,

Our talks which only we understood,

Our coded eye signals and our weird coincidences.

Riding under the sun,

The wind blowing through our hair,

On the same dusty roads we would have fun,

The same way for so many years, everyday.

We were two girls but our life was just one,

I lived in yours and you lived in mine,

I think we were by destiny joined,

Together brighter than the sun we’d shine.

Those moments, those events,

The days that passed by,

The most treasured, will never be forgotten,

Even after I say goodbye.

Finally I look away with tear shielded eyes,

Shut the door and the turn the lock in,

Looking up towards the sky,

I pray that someday we’ll meet again.

I blink away the tears as I try to smile,

In a better place, in a better time,

By God’s will we’ll meet again,

It’ll be just you and me like old times.

-Yusra.Shaikh

Thank you.

Dear Readers,
It gives me immense pleasure to declare to you all that I have received more than one thousand reads on my blog.
But what makes me even more happy is that I am able to pass the messages I wanted across the world.
A massive thank you to all my readers around the globe.
-Yusra.

We Bleed Red.

  

This poem was inspired from the death of Michael Brown. This kid,eighteen year old, African American Michael Brown from Ferguson, Missouri, USA was shot by a cop on the street. The cop, a white American, claims that he shot the kid in self defense and he suspected him of robbery. Michael succumbed to the injuries within minutes, and the officials later found out that he had no weapon on himself. Shooting an unarmed person six times just over suspicion is I feel a misuse of authority.Check out the link for the details.  (LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Michael_Brown). The latter part of this poem takes a bit of a look at racism issues.

It’s a story of a lovely young lad,

Charming, caring and compassionate,

A promising life and a million dreams he had,

Adventurous, artistic, articulate.

Walking down the street one fine day,

Two gun shots, were the last thing heard,

A painful wail, no words to say,

Silence in the air as, his cold eyes stared.

A soft thud, as his body hit the floor,

His backpack fell, his books scattered,

A sight so appalling and abhor,

A disgusting reality, once again discovered.

On an empty road his limp body lay,

In a pool of blood so dark,

Without any remorse his killer walked away,

Not a single word spoken, no remark.

It’s not the fight against crime,

It’s not the war against sins,

It happens over and over, time after time,

This is the battle against the color of the skin.

Sometimes fought with weapons,

While sometimes words suffice,

Increasing rapidly and for no reason,

You can see how it tears apart so many lives.

But if we rip the skin apart,

It’s all the same inside,

All of us have a crimson beating heart,

Black, brown, white, or yellow is just the wrapper outside.

Still some say white can rule the world,

But you need to be careful with the others,

It doesn’t take a genius to crack their code,

It’s the color of the skin that really gets them bothered.

Separated by borders,

Separated by regions,

Separated by color,

Separated by religions.

Our language, country, accent may differ,

Yet we all fall under the same category,

Haters, peacemakers, everyone altogether,

We all have the same ancestry.

We all came from Eve and Adam,

Our differences ain’t differences but variety,

Hope these words won’t be forgotten,

Each person has a beautiful personality.

We share the same sky,

We breathe the same air,

We love, we hurt, we smile, we cry,

And when cut we all bleed red.

-Yusra.Shaikh

Mother Forever

This poem is dedicated to all the Moms out there.  The ladies who dedicate their entire life to bring up this other human being without expecting anything in return. Surely "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world".

My whole life changed,

The day, I held your little finger.

All my plans, already rearranged,

To include you in it my little wonder.

So little, so fragile,

Your eyes shined, like stars in the sky.

So innocent, so beautiful,

Your smile, like fireworks on the fourth of July.

Your first word, your first step,

Running around the house bare feet.

Those moments, all in my mind etched,

I still see you, as you used to be.

Use to walk you to school,

Every morning, lost count of the days.

Painting together, was the weekend rule,

I always loved the mess you’d make.

A few years down,

You were no longer that five year old.

Your hair were longer and you wore an evening gown,

You were growing up as I was growing old.

My little girl became a beautiful lady,

You changed your clothes, your style and the way you’d speak.

I no longer needed to make your room tidy,

You managed to keep me away for weeks.

I was no longer welcomed to welcome you home,

You no longer craved my presence at the door.

Sneaking in at odd hour you’d rush to your room,

You no longer wanted me to wait up anymore.

You kept me up whole night when you were a baby,

And I complied happily.

Now you still keep me up all night young lady,

What a shame! What a tragedy!

I worry for you and what your into,

Your friends seem shady and your future unsafe.

I care for you and when I try to help,

You scream ‘Leave me alone!’ and slam the door in my face.

As a mother I’d always wish the best for you,

I love you and I always will but I have my dignity to keep too.

Your wish is granted dear daughter,

Today I leave you.

Never imagined I’d live to see everything fall,

As you stand at the door I stand outside.

Sure my bones are weak but my spirit is strong,

Before I leave let me give you some advice.

Don’t you worry about putting me in an old age shelter,

I can live on my own, I have lived before you.

I’m a mother and I’ll be a mother forever,

It’s not a ‘Pick and Choose’, it’s not a ‘Onetime’ thing,

You’ll realize this when you have a daughter too.

-Yusra.Shaikh