Fatima's Archives

Hey there! I wrote a poem. This one took a lot more thought and effort than most of my poems - which are usually spontaneous, raw and emotional - that I don't post anywhere. I thought a lot about this idea and took almost a week to complete it. I also had to cut out several words, rearrange certain stanzas, and rewrite it a couple of times. I'm quite pleased with the result though - I think this is the best piece of poetry I've managed to write so far.  I would appreciate some feedback on it, if you have any, as I know this is far from perfect. Also, let me know if you have any suggestions for what kind of poetry I might write next. I could do with some new ideas. Here's the poem now: It is easy to dream When the eyes are closed -  When the mind is numb.  When there is no expectation Of life or living -  When there is no burden to carry.  But when the eyes are open -  And the mind can see What the universe has to offer. When the hea...

Hey everyone! This is a poem that I wrote a while ago - in fact, over a year ago - when I was desperately moved at hearing the news of another relative planning to move abroad. To be honest, this subject that has been of significant pain to me since an early age. I've seen many close family members, friends, and teachers move abroad over the years, and each time I hear of someone else planning to do the same, it hurts. To think that one would push aside their own community, the place in which they were raised, and the ties with people who are so closely related to them at the mere prospect (and not even assurance) of being able to live a better life in a foreign land is hauntingly painful. I do, however, also acknowledge that there are quite multidimensional reasons for people choosing to leave this country. Of course, I am well aware of the unstable economic conditions, and the fact that they greatly affect the living conditions of the majority of our population. I know that...

A few weeks ago, I attended a program at IVS, about which I discussed in my last blog post . One of the tasks that we were assigned during the week on 'Space Odysseys' was to create a piece of art - be it a painting, a write-up, a poem, or a sculpture - based on a space from a story. The story was a ' cassette kahani ', an old-fashioned audio story about a prince and how he risked his life to fight an evil magician and rescue his father. The story, which was in Urdu and was probably recorded at least thirty or forty years ago, was fast-paced and adventure packed, telling a thrilling story of the prince's journey. We listened to the story on the first day of the week, and then were assigned the task of working on an art piece inspired by one of the spaces in the story. We were asked to work on this project throughout the week, and had to present it on the last day of that week. I decided to write a piece of poetry on a scene from the dungeons, when the prince is tr...

Hey there readers! I hadn't posted on this blog for too long, and I was feeling pretty guilty about not having done so. And I had some kind of a writers' block, and wasn't able to write anything non-academic for quite a while. But after attending a five-day workshop on Spoken Word and Language Skills conducted by Spoken Stage at the British Council Library , and after doing a lot of writing activities, I broke the writers' block that had built up. Now I am back with a list poem on Sadness, which is one of the pieces that I wrote in the workshop. Sadness is when no one listens to me Sadness is when people fight Sadness is when my parents don't trust me. Sadness is when people leave Pakistan; Saying there's nothing in it for them. Sadness is when I lose hope Sadness is when I see the ugly truth. Sadness is when I realize that the people who matter so much to me don't really care, And sadness is when I stop caring for the ones who care for ...

Hello Readers! Here is a poem I wrote about the situation in Pakistan, how we are dependent on Domestic Help to work for us. I had originally decided to write an article on this topic, but when I sat down to write it, I somehow couldn't. So I expressed it in a poem, which I think would also be more interesting than an article. Hope you like it. Comments would be appreciated. A problem we face in this country Even though we claim to be independent The truth is that we are not And are actually more dependent! Dependent on the servants to sweep our floors, And the drivers to drive our vehicles We depend on a Cook to cook our food, And from a shop we purchase our pickles. We hire maids to do our housework, Which includes cleaning, washing and sweeping We order them about, and while they work, We ourselves go back to sleeping! Now, is this routine right, after all? Is this correct, what we do? Is it supposed to be this way or not? And is it fai...

Written on the behalf of Fatima(me), Zainab, and Ibraheem dedicated to our friends, Azka, Ayan, and Abiha You are the best friends we've ever had Please don't ever leave us, that'll make us sad All the lovely memories include you and us You're the ones whom we really really trust Two is a couple, three is a crowd But together we're six, (and really loud!) Remember the day we went together to a park? All squashed up in a car, as happy as a lark! And the times we sat down to play Taboo Or hide and seek or just shouting Boo! The hundreds of times we've had lunch and dinner together All we haven't done yet is a great big sleepover! We meet you every week, and sometimes more often, And through letters and emails and chats now and then! Friends we are and friends we remain Till the last day, or till we're all slain.

This is the first Haiku I ever wrote, hope you like it.  Driving me crazy Are the thoughts all around me Not letting me work! A haiku is a poem, consisting of three lines. It does not have to rhyme, instead it has a syllable pattern: The first line should have five syllables, the second should have seven, and the third line should have five syllables. I'll be putting more haiku on the blog soon, Insha Allah.

Here is a sonnet I wrote on 'Chess'. It's my first sonnet, hope you like it. And by the way, I've broken the rule of putting ten syllables in each line. I didn't know we had to and I had already written the whole sonnet before I found out the syllable restriction. I'm just posting it here anyway, but I promise to share a perfect sonnet soon! Chess is a wonderful game It causes you to think It isn't at all slow and lame And is over before you can blink It makes you think mathematically And you learn from different situations You have to use your brain, totally It's been played around for generations White is the opponent of black Black is the opponent of white There's plotting and killing between the white and black It's all a great big fight! But more than anything, chess is a challenge Where you have to show your revenge

Sitting quietly upon a tree For the whole world to see When falls from her tail, a feather And someone starts to chase her So now she has to flee Gathering up her courage She flies over a cottage Smiling over her beak With the sun at it's peak She finds another place to settle This kind of poetry is called a limerick. This is the second time I wrote a limerick. Find out more: What is a Limerick   My First Limerick I wrote this poem when I was in Fatima Fertilizer Company for a week.

Happiness is something you cannot define It's not what happens when you dine It isn't exactly awaiting you fate Nor is it looking at today's date Being happy means you're really glad And maybe with your mum and dad When you're excited and having fun Or playing outside in the sun Being happy means not being sad And I hope that's most of the time lad!

Parents Sometimes as gentle as a dove Sometimes being very shove Forcing me to tie my hair Which makes me look like a tennis player Filled with unconditional love

The moment I step outside my door I see the rubbish heap has grown a lot more Holding my nose, I hurry away Towards the little place where I thought the trees sway But when I arrive, oh what a shock! This place is as bare as a rock There are buildings that seem to scrape the sky Leaving back all green trees to die Where all those flowers used to bloom Are now just stories, full of doom In not just one country, or a nation In this century, every generation Doesn't care about nature's beauties They seem too busy with their own duties If only people would realize That Mother Earth has a definite size It won't grow with the rubbish you throw Or the attitude you show So please, reuse, reduce, recycle For short distances, use a bicycle Stop throwing litter everywhere And make sure people are aware That saving the Earth is  everyone's job And if we don't do it, we won't have a log

After dinner you crave a snack Something sweet and tasty to get your good mood back Some cookies perhaps, those chocolate chip ones Or a plate of warm, freshly baked buns A scoop of ice cream, yes you're right I dream of eating it all day and night. A bar of chocolate, a piece of candy These are the things that are really handy But tonight, anything would go As long as it is sweet, you know

Sibling are so annoying Little ones always crying They want to be loved And can't bear to be scolded Brothers aren't so brainy And sometimes they go crazy Sisters are rather bossy Trying to look more glossy  But after all they're lovely too I just say to them; I love you!