I Love You, My Father.

Photo by Vintage Holiday Crafts

My dear father, on this Father’s Day
Let me share an epistle that I hope conveys
The perpetual love that I have for you
The wishes that I always pray

There’s an abode in my heart where you always stay
No matter if you are here or a little far away
No matter how much we fight, disagree or affray
I believe you would be there as a best friend all the way

I know I have grown up into a woman with time
However, deep within my heart we still share those old ties
And I still need you, my dad to clutch my arms so tight
And tell me that everything’s going to be alright

There might be things, which you never say
There might be things that I hold within
There might be things I never understand
But all I know is that a dad’s a daughter’s best friend

My dear father, on this Father’s Day
Let me tell you something, let my heart say
I Love You, even though I may not be expressing it everyday
And my prayers are never complete unless I send wishes your way

My dear father, have a wondrous Father’s Day!

Recollection: 1ST Annual Pakistan Blog Awards 2010

“To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event.”

___Henri Cartier-Bresson

Following is a video containing photographs of the blog awards event being held at Regent Plaza in Karachi. The one-of-its-kind blog awards event being organized for the very first time in Pakistan certainly holds significance for the Pakistani blogosphere and the bloggers alike.

Have a look!

And for reading a detailed coverage report of the entire event, you may visit the following links:

CIO Pakistan

The Express Tribune

Converge Weekly

Happy Blogging!

My Mother, Above All Others.

It is said that the Heaven lies beneath your mother’s feet, which is undoubtedly true as there is no other place than a mother’s lap where you lie down your head in happiness and in times of blue. Her love is incomparable, invaluable and unforgettable. Over the years, a number of poets and writers have expressed love for their mothers in various forms; however, there is always more left to be written and left to be pondered about the God’s greatest creation. My mother, like every other mom, is a perfect woman when you look at her through my eyes because she knows me like no other. She isn’t only a woman who gave birth to me and reared me up but she’s a sculptor who has carved out my personality. Being my closest ally who has always been there during my tough times, she’s the one who always puts me to sleep hushing the demons in my head and she sings the perfect lullaby. She is a tour guide showing me what ways to follow and what to avoid during the course of life. She’s a mind reader who knows what’s bubbling in my mind and before I may express, she comes to know of the whole story. She loves me for who I am even though I may not be a perfect daughter. I seem to have summed up my love for her in a passage of a few words that is too less but my mother’s love for me is unfathomable and limitless.

Happy Mother’s Day!

The Damsel’s Morning Delight.

Photo by Kerrie B. Wrye

As the sun triumphs over the duskiness of the ebony night

Blushing the sky with colors vanquishing the deepest dyes

The damsel lying under the covers slowly opens her sleepy eyes

To the beauty unseen before; the purity of the morning delight

She reaches out to the window and pulls the curtains aside

Listening to the melody of the chirruping birds outside

And somewhere back in the memory, there’s an echo of a distant guy

Whose abode is the neverland and who travels to the wonderland each day to cry

To cry out to the birds in the wild blue skies

To play the divine symphony for the damsel and to fly

What a day it is! She thinks and she shyly smiles

Is this a new dawn, a reality or a fable that would soon die

The dewy tears run down her cheeks, she wipes them off and sighs

Leaving the riddle unsolved and open

The riddle behind the damsel’s morning delight!

This poem is dedicated to a wonderful friend (also known as the incredible hulk by his loved ones) who inspired me to write after a long hiatus. And let me thank Kerrie for allowing me to use one of the beautiful images from her creative collection.

Happy Reading!

A Melody, The Memory

All the notes in time make the melody
Hold me and sway into the moment we share
Where we can stay so attached to the memory

A Melody, The Memory
------- Performed by Mae

As I traveled down the memory aisle today, I tried gazing at the everlasting and ageless masterpieces of time through the gifted mind’s eye. Painted with laughter, tears, and agony, each of it was an emblem representing reality that exists no more. I felt being an artist for a while putting up and playing with coats and colors that camouflaged my present time. And I also felt being a ballerina dancing to the tunes of time.

Following are the lyrics of one of the melodies by Shayan Italia, which stirs my soul and takes me back into the Utopian times.

Lyrics of the Reflection by Shayan Italia

Believe, that is what you are,
Rushing through the soul, steeling my faith by far.
Creation, words are for you only I write.
Flowing through these hands, sun by day, and moon by night.

And I've tried, to survive.
let it go, lead a normal life,
but from you, I can't escape.
Whats feeling me inside, feelings I can't deny.

I'm trapped within the rhythm of love,
something I just can't get out of,
I'm scorn to be, a passion never to be.
And I'm holding on to something not real,
A mere existence of my world, fighting to face,
one day you'll be gone.
and I've tried in every possible way, to keep you beside me not fade away, into the pieces of a broken glass, into the pieces of a broken glass.

Worship, things are only for you I pray, running through this heart,
steeling my strength every step of the way.

And I've tried, not to cry.
let it go, lead a happy life,
but from you, I can't escape.
Whats killing me inside, emotions I can't deny.

I'm trapped within the rhythm of love,
something i just can't get out of,
I'm scorn to be, a passion never to be.
And I'm holding on to something not real,
A mere existence of my world, fighting to face,
one day you'll be gone.
and I've tried in every possible way, to keep you beside me not fade away, into the pieces of a broken glass, into the pieces of a broken glass.

..More melodies/lyrics to follow.

Another Sarah.

Born in the caring motherly womb like a precious pearl in a clam
Died as a woebegone woman; in pursuing the merciless love of a man
She opened her eyes to the world; she thought was pure and kind
But she never knew this would be just the illusions of her mind
As she traveled down the path, and reached the prime of her life
She felt being lost in the dark and tried looking for the light
The light that once shone from the innocence of her eyes
The light that was blurred by deceit and the shameful, painful lies
The light that could blind her so that she could not ever see
The fallacious faces of people, their deceit and the misery
The light that could strike her mind and make it numb for eternity
So that she could blindly love without sensing the insincerity
She always had a fight with the soul she was blessed
She was weird for the world and ugly for the rest
She always pondered over if she was the worst amongst the best
Her life revolved around this never-ending quest
Then, there came a time when she got tired and decided to close her eyes
To wander far, far away from the people into the secluded paradise
To rise and reborn, to search and synchronize
The purpose of her existence with the cosmos and the mazes of the mind.

Eid-ul-Azha Greetings.

Here is to wish all Muslims around the world a very blessed Eid-ul-Azha:

A time to celebrate and deliberate
A time to reassess and reflect upon
The holy act of the divine sacrifice
And the priceless lessons that can be drawn
Of sacrificing in the name of Allah
Of giving up things that are prized
Of sharing Allah’s bounties with the loved and dear ones
And with the needy and the pauperized
Of strengthening our devotion towards the Almighty
Of bracing our humanly ties
Of practicing purity in faith and obedience
Of letting the spirit of piety rise
May this day be filled with pleasure
And with all things nice
May our minds and souls be enlightened
With the divine dimensions of the sacrifice

Happy Eid-ul-Azha :)

Eid-ul-Fitr Greetings.

Here it is to wish all Muslims around the world a very blessed Eid-ul-Fitr:

As the divine crescent heralds the Eid celebrations

Bringing joy, delight, and immense delectations

Let us greet each other and cherish the valuable relations

With heartiest wishes and words and prayers

Let us bow to Allah with supreme dedication
For blessing us with another moment of jubilation
Let us spread an ambience of love, unity, and affection
With the true spirit of kindness and care

Wish you a very happy

E mbrace
I ts
D ivinity

Mubarik!

Happy Eid-ul-Fitr to all and sundry.

Century's Longest Solar Eclipse on July 22nd - The Divine Solar Slice.

These images have been shared by one of my friends, Munawar Ahmed, who takes delight in taking pictures of the miracles of Mother Nature.

While I saw these for the first time, it reminded me of a slice of orange and therefore, I decided to name it as the "Divine Solar Slice."

Aren't these beautiful?

Stare at these for a while and let me know :)

5th 20SB Blog Swap - La Meme Chose

While another post featuring the spectacular "Century's Longest Solar Eclipse" is on its way, it is time to present my first-ever blog partner for the 20SB Blog Swap named Nora. While Nora would be revealing some interesting info about herself on my blog, I will be found sharing an amateur poetic attempt on her blog.

For the time being, here it is what Nora has to say:

Okay, okay, I know this is a meme, but my blog swap partner asked me to add some "color," to her blog, and because I wanted to do this meme and because, perhaps, her readers are interested in learning a bit about me, here I go!

I always...

* Have cheese in my refrigerator. I can't help it, I love cheese!
* Buy my dog new toys, even if he doesn't need them (and perhaps to the chagrin of my boyfriend)
* Hit the snooze button in the morning
* Wish for more hours in the day
* Drink an insane amount of water each day
* Long to be a tad skinnier. I think it's a woman thing.

* Choose Coke over Pepsi and Dr. Pepper over Coke.
* Long for simpler times

I sometimes...

* Stay up so late on a work night that going to bed doesn't even seem purposeful.
* Think about getting a tattoo... but chicken out when someone suggests I commit to the idea
* Get Blogger Envy: yearning for a cooler layout, special URL and more commenters
* Wish that I could round up my favorite bloggers and in-real-life friends, go on one HUGE trip and have one of the best time's of my life
* Contemplate picking up and moving to a new place. New job. New life.
* Become one with the couch, watching too much TV and reading too many blogs

I never...

* get enough sleep. Never, ever.
* handle making a mistake well
* learned to hide my emotions, even if I should

* like being the center of attention
* thought I'd be a part of Corporate America
* realized the power of the blogging community until the last year

* go a day without a piece of chocolate

Nora

Happy Reading!

Rain and Reminiscence.

Another day and another time of the year, with the same sound of silence around, one could clearly hear the tapping of raindrops on the window pane again. And there she was, standing by the window, staring into the wilderness and deeply immersed in her thoughts. She tried reliving the moments that had brought her joy and wondered if why time and destiny has brought her to a place where she only has her blessed solitude to embrace.

She never realized if how far she had journeyed through time while thinking. Although, she appeared to be an isolated silhouette to many, yet she knew that she was not alone…she knew that God loves her and she knew that He is right there watching over her.

Wiping off the tears, she sat to write and while she started penning down her thoughts onto paper, she recalled one of the favorite lullabies from her childhood times that perfectly harmonized with the heavenly downpour outside.

“I hear the wind as it rustles through the treetops.
I hear the leaves as they drink the falling rain.
I hear a dove softly cooing by my window,
I hear God speak to me.”

___ By Windy, Songbook: Heaven's Magic Songbook

To be continued… When it rains again…



A question arises if who she could be.
None other than the wandering soul in “me”

Punctuations – An Altered Place Could Give an Altered Meaning.

“The writer who neglects punctuation, or mispunctuates, is liable to be misunderstood. For the want of merely a comma, it often occurs that an axiom appears a paradox, or that sarcasm is converted into a sermonoid.”

___Edgar Allan Poe

It's been a long time since I wrote anything for the blog, and therefore, I thought of creating a short and sweet blog post narrating a text message being sent by one of my closest friends, Anila. While it may sound familiar to many, I decided to put it up on the blog as I found it interesting enough to be shared. The content of the message revolves around the use of punctuation, which could impart different meanings to the same sentence when used at different places with an underlying notion that the perceptions may vary from individual to individual and there is a striking difference in the noetic views when it comes to men versus women. The message goes like this:

An English professor wrote the words, "Woman without her man is nothing" on the blackboard and directed the students to punctuate it correctly.

The boys wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing."

The girls wrote: "Woman: Without her, man is nothing."

Isn't it amusing that the placement of a single comma can change the intent of the entire message?

If you have any other interesting example to cite, please post it in the comments section - and together we shall celebrate the beauty of punctuation.

Happy Reading!

My Maiden Interview at TPS.

While blogging had always been one of my productive leisurely pursuits, I never expected to be interviewed as a blogger someday. Being interviewed by “The Pakistani Spectator” is one of the memorable experiences for me to be cherished. The lady behind the blog, Ms. Ghazala Khan, is one of the successful bloggers herself, and she has provided a lot of motivation through the recognition of my earnest efforts and time.

If you wish to read more of the maiden interview, you may follow here:

http://www.pakspectator.com/interview-with-blogger-sarah-rahman/

Happy Reading!

An Epistle to my Mother.

With fountains of love, true, pure and divine
She nourished and nurtured my life
There’s nothing in my world that could be compared
With her million sacrifices and the ways she strived
While I continue to cherish the everlasting bond with my mother
Who is as sweet as the morning dew
Here’s a wish wrapped with love and lots of gratitude
Happy Mother’s Day to you

Tired of Fighting Against Myself

Haven’t we come a long way fighting with each other?
Pretending as if we do not care if we go asunder
Harassing and hurting through words and ways spelling hatred and displeasure
Marring each one’s divinity to an extent beyond measure
Fighting against ourselves as we explore our lives further
Dawning and dying each day in our thoughts, sentiments, and whispers
Haven’t we come a long way fighting with each other?

Can’t we put an end to it and start life anew together?
Can’t we let the autumn leave and bring in the spring weather?
Can’t we travel hand in hand and vow to leave never
Can’t we be a single soul or just best friends forever?

Life Goes On As It Never Ends.

Life nowadays seems to pass by fast. About a year ago, I felt myself as a failure having nothing to do in my life; I seemed to have lost in a darkened tunnel that appeared to have stretched over a thousand miles; I was surrounded by feelings of despair and regret and even felt suicidal at times, depression was all that I had. But then if I see myself now, the conditions have improved to a great extent, I never could have imagined that time that I will be gaining my will power again. Two years have passed and I am still waiting for the lost to return, a person who never used to stay without me even for a week went away and hasn’t returned yet. Two years ago, I had been thinking if how I would be able to move on with life with wounds that could never heal but with the passage of time, I occupied myself with varied tasks so as to divert my mind and my life seems to go by too fast now and I am glad it does!