Were You Afraid?

When you put me on a pedestal, Yet held me at gun point Made me walk on eggshells around you, Were you afraid I’d see the acid in your veins If you’d have kept me where I belonged? This isn’t you, don’t be weak, learn to have some fun Be better Your words echoed in …

Lonely Together

We’re all trying to hold on, be someone Some lost, some won. Sometimes we love way too much Yet let go of ones we love as such. It’s not supposed to be this way, or is it? We’re supposed to be safe, not bruised and bit. Is it actually love or are we just scared? …

The Wooden Screen

I wake up to the sound of chaos; tyres screeching, keys rattling, violent knocking on the bedroom door. I hear them yelling at a distance, their usual banter, so I go back to sleep. But not too long after, I was jerked back awake to the sound of glass breaking. Perplexed, I go closer to …

Musalsal

Urdu: Constant Like the northern star, fixed Like the chaos in my head, mixed And in the sleepless nights When you stayed awake with me, Talking to the stars; In the dry days of autumn When you let yourself get embarrassed As I jumped on the leaves To hear the sound of their crunch; In …

Things I Look Forward To

There’s a bridge across the rivulet Low enough for me to sit And dip my toes in it And go for a deep dive in my mind . Sunsets that cast crimson shadows On the skyscrapers so high And play with the clouds passing by Covered in golden hues . Slipping under the fresh sheets …

Hopeless

Won’t you stay a little longer? I told you I love you And you looked at me With your saddest smile And my heart broke a little; Won’t you hold me a bit tighter? Like you hold dear your walls Keep casting deflections within As I lay on the ground, cold Waiting for you to …

Metaphor

Lay down the foundation, Couple lines and phrases Carefully crafted to make sense Of the pain you carry so gracefully On your shoulders; And in between the lines Shove in a metaphor Even if it doesn’t fit That hides under it Too deep an insecurity, Carefully covered to make sense Of the persona for display …

From Stars To Smoke

Tossing and turning Throughout the night Countless times. Pulling apart at the seams, Frayed ends of a life Half lived Burnt too bright Burnt out too soon From stars to smoke Of blazing flames. The sky changing colours Now seems like a display Of transience and growth Unlike the reminder Of different shades of your …

Stay Afloat

Some days you’ll wake up With a sinking feeling in your stomach With a weight so heavy Your body refuses to get up. Lethargic, frozen limbs That won’t help you out of bed With mind so blocked You won’t be able to think About anything other than Why you’re not able to. When you’ll want …

A Million Worlds

Sameer was a radio jockey. His show aired for an hour at night starting from midnight. Sometimes he made people laugh, sometimes he talked about classic movies or music or poetry or art, sometimes, he’d just talk. About nothing and yet everything. Tonight he went into his cabin. He threw his bag on the floor …