23 The Addict

Bleary eyed, tired, going around like a zombie;

With a glazed stare, he is aloof,

Lost in a world apart;

He is dejected, he is defeated, he is a loser;

Misunderstood, misled or misguided, 

Whose responsibility is he?

A reject, a criminal, a sinner they say;

Whom has he hurt, but himself;

Who has felt his pain?

Desperation, hopelessness led to all this;

No aim, no destination; has he failed society?

Or the society has failed him! 

15 Slum Walk

My whole body felt ignited, with a fire in my heart;

Suppressing pain that I felt as I walked down the slum;

Dirty, half-clad, little children, rolling in the mud;

Or going through garbage, searching morsels to eat;

A lass, still a child herself, openly breast feeding her baby;

Another bargaining her flesh for a little food and drink;

Old wrinkled faces yielding to neglect, poverty, disease;

Is this the freedom they fought for, why did they suffer?

What did they get for shedding their blood, supporting

The chosen few, who know only to con and exploit

The innocent, gullible, needy and fill their foreign account;

To live in mansions, cruise in limousines, play with words;

Manoeuvring things to their favour, they get away with crime;

Even their gods seem pleased with them, ignoring atrocities;

Letting them toy with other's life, allowing misery, sin, tyrancy;

To persist and spread amongst the helpless souls in the slum.

copy right  shama butt 

16 Peace Day [Saturday, 21st September,2013, West-gate, Nairobi]

It was the World Peace Day ........

She was on top of the world, so happy; everything was perfect, so ideal,

The sun was peeking brightly through the powdery clouds,

She almost touched the sky;  wishing to fly, sing with the chirping birds,

The little life moved within her, over-whelming her with love,

But wait, was she hallucinating? Had she imagined a shriek, gun-shots?

Masked men, children running helter, skelter; looking for places to hide,

Flames, rifles, random shooting, smoke, darkness - terrorists' attack?

Her world came tumbling down, as hell broke loose all around,

She felt warm, sticky blood oozing out from her wounded body, black-out;

But there was no pain, just stillness; her baby had also stopped kicking.

It was the World Peace Day ..........

Weaving dreams of a happy future, they walked down the aisles of the mall;

Sacred vows of togetherness, promises to be always there for each other;

The lovely, sunny day in beautiful Nairobi, suddenly turned to gloomy despair;

Oh cruel, cruel destiny! The perperators had struck again!

With bleeding hearts, eyes devoid of tears;

Hand in hand, they had stepped into their own heavenly 'utopia',

Where there would be no politics, no war, no terror, no anguish;

Only love, undying, eternal, pure love.

It was the World Peace Day ..........

"How will I cope? How will I survive?"

Her blank eyes seemed to be asking the still body of her husband;

Mourners, well-wishers, friends were all around,

But she felt alone, petrified, shocked and stunned;

Would she ever forget the moment he was shot, amidst the chaos,

When the fun, festivity and gaiety had turned into a grave-yard,

Cowering in her hiding place, she had witnessed blood-shed;

The corpses, the injured scarred for life, maimed bodies;

A hand, still out-stretched for help;

Her joy had flowed away like a river, never to return;

Her heart was like broken pieces of a mirror, never to be one again.

Her mind reeled with questions and no answers;

What had she done to deserve this sorrow?

Why do the innocent always suffer and the guilty get away?

Was this world worth living in? She grieved, she wept.

Her toddler was tugging at her dress as she awoke from her stupor;

She had to endure for his unborn child;

His death could not be in vain; he had died, saving her;

" I must carry on, I will not lose hope;

Evil will be defeated, justice will triumph."

It was the World Peace Day ............

copyright shama butt 

17 Baba ji - Dear Dad

Your face glistens in my tears, your hand assuredly on my shoulder;

You will always be with me, in my heart, my soul and my spirit;

It is from you that I learnt, to make the best of what destiny gives;

To persevere, trust in God, and do the right;

Never to give up, and hope for the best.

Your gentle, kind nature, taught me to forgive;

Your firm, unwavering support gave me the courage;

To stand for my rights,

To appreciate small joys of life;

And to perceive death as a gate to eternal bliss.

You were the beacon that guided me, to reach my goals;

To believe in myself, never to shirk my duties;

Your simple, humble ways made a place in every heart;

You were so honest, unassuming, upright;

Your smile, your embrace, was a silent prayer for us all.

Now that you have gone, and I am alone in this cruel world;

I still feel your prescence, your images all around me;

Standing near the green car, beckoning me to listen;

Then driving away, leaving me waving good-bye;

Oh why did you go for ever, why couldn't you stay some more?

18 My Baby Girl

The day you came into the world, I was born again;

My life took a new turn that night, I was transformed;

Bright eyes, looking up to the light, maroon lips pursed to suckle;

I hugged your tiny, fragile body, all my pain, agony vanished;

Tiny, delicate fingers clasped mine,I didn't want to put you down;

I touched the wispy, brown hair; caressed the translucent skin;

I lay awake to see you sleeping, peaceful, innocent, so beautiful;

Yearning to rest myself, I'd go around like a zombie;

Checking you at every wimper, sob or sigh;

Arms would tire cradling you, but my heart wished to hold you;

You became the focus of my being, the purpose and reason to live;

My baby girl, the most precious gift I ever received;

The source of my joy, the assurrance of my love;

You are a gem, to be cherished and covetted for ever and ever! 

19 Wafaa

I marvel at the Creator, who made your lovely face;

          The innocent, shiny eyes, the perfect rosy smile;

Your musical voice,  soothing touch, your loving looks;

          Like the first rays of the sun, brighten my life;

Cascading, raven hair, your delicate, elegant form;

          Usually so calm, but the sudden out bursts;

Bring tears to my heart that always prays for you;

          You are a special hope, in a broken world;

No storm can shake our bond;

          No winds can pull us apart;

The prettiest flower you are, in my father's garden;

         May you blossom, flourish and enlighten;

Not only your home, but the whole wide universe!

20 Milaad

How can I be like you, will I ever be like you?

As a child, I was impressed by you;

You were the ideal, I wanted to be like you; 

To have a spartan life rather than a world full of luxury;

Make harder choices, suffer and live in strife;

Satisfied with bare essentials, never to hoard in greed;

To be honest, loyal, humble, truthful and steadfast;

How can I be like you, will I ever be like you?

Do you even know how tough it is to emulate you;

How difficult it is to follow your footsteps?

You, who could have ruled the world, lived like a king;

But chose abject poverty, preferred to lie on bare floors;

You, who rejected crown,  jewels for the sake of faith;

And sacrificed everything for the good of mankind;

You, the chosen one, the blessed one, the loved one;

How can I be like you, will I ever be like you?

I wish I woud never complain, always be grateful;

I wish I could forgive atrocities of friends and foes;

Forget the hurting, the pain, remember just the bliss;

Control my anger, give selfless service even to strangers;

Believe in eternal justice and the power of true love;

However much I try, I know I can never be as great as you;

How can I be like you, will I ever be like you? 

21 Pretext

With shrouds so white, they cover their deeds so dark;

                     Where is the truth?

Under umbrellas of power, is hidden crime and fraud;

                     Where is the justice?

Plastered with fake colours are concealed, faces of innocence;

                     Where is the beauty?

Covered with glittering gold, shine their tarnished bodies;

                     Where is the authencity?

With sheep skin, they hide their lust and evil intentions;

                      Where is the love?

In pretext of authority, unsuspecting youth are exploited;

                       Where is the education?

Pretending ambassadors of peace, loot, blast, plunder the weak;

                        Where is the charity?

Hidden somewhere in blue velvet, He watches atrocities on earth;

                         Where is the God?

22 Forgive?

They left me wounded, helpless; in a whirlpool of gloom and ecstasy,

With a bleeding heart, weeping eyes, the burning pain, unbearable,

Will my silent suffering ever cease?

The emptiness is stifling - don't ask me to forgive!

They stole my innocence, snatched my childhood, ruined my youth,

Every fibre of my body aches, every breath is a grevious sigh,

Will the cuts, the scars ever heal?

The loneliness is suffocating - how can I forgive!

They turned my days to night-mares, shoved me into a bottomless pit;

With desperation, my spirit is waning, my soul is crying,

Will my agony, my sorrow ever end?

The waiting is smothering - I'll never be able to forgive! 

Help Me!

Come, give me a hand, pull me out of this bog;

Unending tunnel, so dark, this messy swamp;

That seems to drag me down, down, down.

You've helped millions to survive, why not me;

I need assistance to get through the night;

Give me hope, show me the light, light, light.

Let my struggles be over, my dreams realised;

Have I not suffered enough and waited so long;

Don't I deserve something better, better, better?

You are the only one I ask for aid, none other;

I am putty in your hand, you have the power;

Give me death or help me, help me, help me!

Childhood Sweetheart

Before it becomes too late, let me say that I want to love you

More than ever before, so that you can know how much I care;

You have always been, and will remain, the only one for me

With you, I want to traverse paths that others wouldn't dare;

I have loved you all my life, but it seems like the other day

That you came down the airport- I saw you for the first time;

You became my love, my desire, my life partner, my destiny

I breathed for you, prayed and sang for you, I lived for you;

Obstacles were in our way, but we stuck together,steadfast

Believing in our love - the best thing that had happened to us;

There were so many hardships, quarrels, arguments galore

But the blessings were greater, our life was filled with joy;

We were showered with flowers that were rare to get

No earthly riches could match the happiness that we shared;

Alongside you, I could face any calamity, pain, any suffering

I had your love, your arms, your strength to always support me;

You were in my thoughts, my dreams, my whole being

Incomparably precious were the moments we spent together;

Even after all these years, I wait, yearn for you, I see you smile

Sweet nothings ring in my ears, separation is difficult to bear;

I hear your steps towards me, your prescence is everywhere

I feel your touch on my hands, your warmth on my lips;

O my darling, my love, my childhood sweetheart

How can I ever forget our blissful togetherness;

For you I would sacrifice all pleasures,even my life

In your eyes I see my self and in your embrace, my heaven.

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