Afflictions

4

The Nature Of Gratitude

Oh one whose heart has hardened, stop. Step back from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Let your mind meander through the hills and valleys of your innumerable blessings. Listen to the beating of your heart, feel each breath as your chest rises and falls. Open your eyes and gaze towards the glorious light of the sun and the scattered puffs of white fluffy clouds. Let your body fall backwards and become engulfed by the soft blades of grass as you inhale the pleasant mingled perfumes of the...

25 February 2013 | Afflictions, Character, Gratitude, Nature | , , , , | 4 Comments
12

The Taste of Death

What if your day had arrived? Imagine if your entire life was a lie. Assess yourself as your sins flash by; You’re wasting your youth and you don’t know why. Tears flow, but there’s no time left to cry - You’ve got one last breath, one last sigh. The Angel of Death has come too soon; He snatches your soul with a startling boom. In an instant, you know that you are doomed. “Kullu nafsin dhaa iqatul maut. Thumma ilayna tur ja’oon.” He warned you, He warned you; did...

01 February 2013 | Death | , , , , , , , | 12 Comments
5

The Red Agenda

January 7th, 4:13 a.m. “What was she saying?” Stumbling and mumbling in the dark, he searched for the door in vain, trying to locate the voice he heard minutes ago. Funny that he couldn’t find it. He tasted the black smoke of air on his tongue again and finally, his hands found the cold, metal knob. He threw the door open and light reflected on his face, sparkling in his squinting light-brown eyes. He stopped as if surprised by the block of an unexpected arm. He laughed, giving up. The...

15 January 2013 | Afflictions, Death | , , , | 5 Comments
17

Invisible Fetters

It was fifteen minutes to midnight and sleep was the last thing on my mind. I lazily scrolled through the news feed on my Facebook account before logging out. Suddenly, something caught my attention. My heart skipped a beat and my fingers went numb. “It can’t be… But how?” I whispered to myself. Yet there it was, right before my eyes. Involuntarily, tears began to well up in my eyes. Vague memories of the past flashed before me. I saw him – a tall, dark brown figure, with spectacles...

14 January 2013 | Dawah, Death, Environment | , , , , , , | 17 Comments
7

Jumping Off the World

“Have you ever felt like jumping off the world?” Upon the questioner’s face my gaze falls. Frozen tears avalanche and melt into warm streams. Her face screams through tired creases as she whispers, “I want my fingertips to grace the sky as it blushes a stain of plum With my arms thrown up as I dive off the earth and splash into the universe.” I watch her peer back at me from behind the watery curtains that drape her irises. “Eardrums burst and walls shatter when they spit spears...

01 September 2012 | Afflictions | , , , , , | 7 Comments
5

Across the Dirt Road

It all flashed right before my eyes, right across the street from the tailor’s shack in northern Bangladesh. My aunt and uncle were having a salwar kameez, a traditional Bangladeshi outfit, tailored for me. After purchasing the material, we dropped the fabric at the tailor’s shack. The simple shack was made of wood and tin, located directly across a green pond. I stood there, observing the scene, while the tailor took measurements for the clothing. I saw a rickshaw peddler cross the dirt road and step into a shop...

25 August 2012 | Afflictions | , , , , , | 5 Comments
5

Hitting Home

When I was young, I remembered living in an old house. It was where my little brother first caught the chicken pox and then passed it on to me and my other younger brother. It was where I was forced to sit on a wooden chair and eat bananas, even though I’ve never been able to swallow one bite since my Gerber food days. It was where I lost my first goldfish, Fifi, and had to watch my mother lead the way – holding Fifi in a spoon –...

22 July 2012 | Calamities | , , , , | 5 Comments
34

Haunting Past

Intisar shut down her laptop, picked up her jacket and tucked a stray wisp of curly brown hair into her scarf. Picking up her bag, she walked to the door of her office and shut the light as she left. “Leaving for the day, boss?” said a young writer Intisar recognized as Julia. “Yes, Julia. When are you heading home?” “Oh, not for a while. You assigned me that that story about the Richardson house, remember? Deadline’s next week.” “Oh, yes! How is that coming?” “Pretty good, actually. I...

04 April 2012 | Death, Depression | , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments
12

Deathly Reminders

I saw death coming right in front of me, and all I felt was fear. What will happen when it comes for me? Or you? * * * She lay there, weak, taking the last breaths of her life. Her lungs were suffering to exchange oxygen, her body emaciated due to weight loss. Her hair was gone, leaving only a few strands, and her eyes were shut, as she escaped in her own mind. I was thinking of how her soul would rise from her body, and prayed it...

29 February 2012 | Death | , , , , | 12 Comments
17

Colors of the Wind

Become one with the earth. Lay upon the dirt from which you came. Sinking, melting, Streaming down the crevices Cracks, slipping further. We return to the earth, don’t we? Go, return to your Lord. Creator. Guardian. Let the sun wash over your skin. Bask in the beams of mercy, A gift from your Lord Calling to you Pray Beg Bathe in the sheets of noor Filling every pore, hole, void, With longing To glide along the bridges threading from sky to earth. Crystal droplets, dancing Sloshing, swishing Flowing down...

21 January 2012 | Depression, Featured, Repentance | , , , , , | 17 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3