Life-A Poem

By: Minahil Malik

Life is a murmur of the past,

A shadow of memories.

An aisle of stories,

And a trunk full of possibilities. 

It is the morning sun kissing the sky,

The horizon erupting into colours of honey, lemon yellows and autumn reds at the sunset.

The invincible night sky studded with starry sequins, 

And the galaxies, milky ways and rocky roads waiting to be discovered.

Life is the hot chocolate during a winter,

Your tan skin and wet pool hair during the summer.

The crazy obsession for a 90’s song, 

Or fantasizing madly about a new film star.

It is the deprivation faced by a poor man, 

The helplessness of a young woman forced to earn by being sold.

The tears of an orphan 

And the sacrifice of a young boys childhood.

It is being grateful to God for what you have,

It is looking down rather than looking up.

It is giving your affection and aid to those who need it,

And spreading smiles.

Life is the loss of someone close to you,

It is the annihilation of blind trust.

The pain, grief and rage,

And the moments of despair and regret.

Life is destiny, how you choose to live it.

It is learning from your experiences and accepting your situation.

It is bringing yourself to terms with what you’re feeling

And finally it is putting all that at the back of your mind and moving on. 

Last Warning!

There's still time guys, and it's never too late.
Haven't started studying for the Mocks yet? Think again, you always have CIEs ;)
Kidding. Studying hard for the Mocks is like acing CIEs, 'cause the practice now makes up for the practice you will have to do later.

And, if you're one of those who regret not having started studying a bit earlier, this poem is just for you :D

Exactly how we feel when Mocks/CIEs/any exams are on our head
and the syllabus just won't END!

I close my eyes, I ain't satisfied,
so much there was, so little I tried,
Guilty consciousness creeps into my mind,
And again its 'Him' that my fate survives.

I could've given that little more,
I could've surely started before,
yet couldn't manage to open that drawer,
why still so immature?

Optimistic yet, to whom am I lying?
Still can pull it off; to what ignorance do i abide?
Pleasing myself with false hopes as Time,
creeps out of the window, leaving me behind.

And I recall now those advices,
Ringing in my ears- are the priceless voices,
My teachers reminding now and again,
Of me being alone and the consequences.

The Desires of a Desirable

AliAsgher Makati
A2S2

- ' This poem is about someone who was nothing more than a mere child. A child, deprived from the joys of life, with greasy hands and a face decorated with black oil, wearing torn and shabby clothes and hair nothing but a mess, this boy, standing in front of a famous Food Chain, looking at the customers going in and out with happy faces and shining eyes, making him realize how his appearance was different, but his desires, his needs were absolutely the same, and his ideas are portrayed in these following lines, showcasing his beautiful heart.'

"The feeling of injustice that his heart feels,
The inequality around him that his mind seeps,
The disgust that follows the nerves into brain,
The frustration that is carried along his veins,
He closes his eyes to bear the pain,
But he knows he has to open them again; with more courage he has to bear it again.
While the joy and smiles that others present,
He stretches his lips merely to pretend,
Undermining the disparity, he barely stands,
Shaken and hurt he looks up again.
I don't see how he digests it in vain,
Though he closes his eyes to bear the pain,
But he knows he has to open them again; with more courage he'll have to bear it again. "

Baad-e-Dafan

Sarwan Rahu
A1G1

Brother Hamza Khatri, I didn't know you but while everyone was mourning for you, I realized you must have been a great person. That moment I made up my mind that I must write something for you.

Arre logo! Ro kar meri rooh ko satao mat,
''Sabar rakhiye'' meri maa ko ye likho khat.

Ama! is tarha gum se kyu ho rahi ho nadhaal?
Tumhare ladle ka khuda khud rakh raha hai khayal.

Kash insaan jan le baad-e-maut ki hakeekat,
Dunya sirf ek tamasha hai aur yahee hai asliat.

Main chala gaya to kia ghum? Tumne bhi to ana hai,
Kyun ke Dunya arzee aur qabar aslee thhika hai.

Khoon se jab hua main laal to khud se kia ek sawaal, 
Kash mazid sajdo me guzarte ye mahine aur ye saal.

Baad-e-Dafan jab farishte kar rahe hain sawaal,
Bare fakhar se pesh kar raha hu main apne Ahmaal.

Jab zinda tha to anjaam se lagta tha dar,
ab khuda bhi kahe to! kabhi jau na laot kar.

Dedicated to our fellow Pafian, Hamza Khatri.
May his soul rest in peace.

People die, personalities don't.
Forever in our hearts and prayers.

Unbearable

 Bushra Shakil
 A1S4

This poem has been written in view of the present situation of Pakistan, especially Karachi. To sit and watch what is going on, like we are a lifeless statue, is the sign that we are quite useless and selfish. It is excruciating to hear about the deaths of hundreds of innocent people, at the hands of such barbarians, who are not even able enough to be called humans, let alone Muslims! It IS unbearable now and it is high time that we take some visible action. We can not, of course, follow the path of those murderers, but then using the pen is a kind of Jihad and if we do not even raise our voice this way then we come under the category of the people who have the weakest 'Eeman'.

Source: Internet

It started off with crimes a few,
Then slowly and gradually the bar grew,
Still, hardly any heed was paid...
So it's turned into open war, these days,
And it's intolerable, unbearable now!
We've heard all of it, time and again,
But it never caused such severe pain,
Beause who cares, when they are fine...
But it's moving closer, creeping towards us
And it's intolerable, unbearable now!
The news we watch, with hand on hand,
Paralyzed with fear, no voice we raise!
But why not fight, when die we shall?
Either dormant or while taking action,
So use thy pens or stand against it,
Because it's intolerable, unbearable now!

Life is after Death

Usman Baig
A1C2

It’s surprising how a man takes birth,
when he knows he has to go one day.
So close he gets with the people around,
but in a second, he departs away.

Leaving them alone, weeping and astounded,
making them drown in the world of sorrow.
The one, who was there to make us smile yesterday,
will not be there with us tomorrow.

Life is a liability, kept with us by God,
and He is the rightful owner, who shall take it away.
As the Hereafter is where we belong,
and this earth is a mere waiting place, not meant for the eternal stay.

Value this life, cherish its presence,
be the best you can, till the last breath.
As this life is a test, be right and just,
because every soul shall have a taste death.

The Plight of a Lover.

Osman Muhammad Sheikh- A1S4

"At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet." -Plato
This holds true for me as well. 

I wanna fly away, like the birds in the sky, but there's some part of me that makes me stay. A strong feeling that's holding me back, I wish I could let go, my feet aren't eager to retrack. Cold and silent like the deep blue sea, this is how my life's going to be. Don't you see how I feel? Don't you see that I can't heal? The pain is sharp and deep, and there's no shoulder on which I can weep. The time I thought you wouldn't betray, a hope that lit my heart's abyss, knowing that you're now far gone. I never thought that there was a poet within me, I realized it when you left me. Why don't you come back?

I wear those memories of yours around my neck, I'm aware that you don't care, but what the heck.
We were meant to be together, how could you just go? You made my heart shatter.
I never thought a bond that strong would be broken, never thought you would let that happen.
Why do we always depart on a sad note? Walking down the road on a lonely night, I feel as if I lost a fight, a fight that was never mine. 
I don't understand what has got into me, I just want to flee from this world of cruelty.
I lost hope, I lost faith, I can't see anything straight.
Efforts gone to waste, promises that were never kept, was this really my fate? To lose you, to never see you by my side. Ha, life's not that great. I feel like an empty crate. I raise my hands to ask God, "Oh Lord, what was really my mistake?" I don't know how much longer I would breathe, my next one could be my last. Then I'll be in peace atlast. I wish you would once visit my grave, tears in your eyes, looking brave. Still having regrets in your heart, about what happened in the past. I wouldn't be able to forgive because I'll be lying dead atlast....

Picture Source:  Google Images.

'Am I better off Dead
Am I better off a Quitter
Am I better off now
Than I ever was with Her?'

Nothing, The Script.

The Betrayal

Ramsha Rauf A1-G1

Source: Internet

It's funny how life changes.

One minute you're here, the next you're there;
You wonder.. How is that fair?

Things change with time;
You still tell yourself you'll be fine;
Yet you wonder.. Why is such tragedy mine?

You often wish to go back;
To the times where you were happy;
To the places you had once been;
But Life refuses to let you win.

Once Life decides to change;
It doesn't permit things to stay the same;
You wonder.. Oh what a shame.

Life betrays you in ways unimaginable;
Yet, Time is the one to be held responsible;
For it is Time that mocks you when you cry;
And one day forces you to die.

Chaos-Karachi Happenings

Aliasgher Makati
A2S2

Below is just one person's view of how it feels to be in a city filled with chaos and helpless cries. A city known for its 'Lights' that has been lost in the labyrinth of blood, tears and fear.

This Is what Karachi seems like these days

The fear that there is, stays along.
Who's safe in this place, no one knows.
With time it gets worse, more innocent die.
Those souls that shouldn't, are forced to cry.

I sit here today having faced nothing.
Having heard of the worst, turning insensitive.
The blood and the cries infuriate me too,
but I don't do much for them,
I've turned this blood darned cold too.

The helpless suffer, cry and scream in vain,
What help would suffice, to them in such pain.
What keeps them alive when a part of them dies,
I cringe and shudder, thinking of what it would be like...

Such is the chaos- we don't know where to face,
inhumanity has taken over,
Life and faith at disgrace,
Plain ol' survival is now what it seems,
Even the optimists retorting to screams.

Even as the night seems dark, just remember that the sun rays spread at dusk only after the darkest hour. Hope is not lost, because as long as we have 'Optimistic Shades' on, we'll know that every labyrinth has an end. And, we'll find our way out of this chaos.

Karachi might seem to be otherwise, but this is what Karachi really is (as captured by PAF Chapter's Brilliant Photographers):

Moaaz Sidat's Photography

Saad Haseeb's Photgraphy

Abdur Rafay's Photography

Keep Praying. Hope is never lost.

Sasha.

Those mint green eyes
speckled with gold
I can't even begin to accept,
how much you have grown.

A little ball of fur you were,
stumbling with every step you took.
Cuddling in my arms,
while I adored your pouty little look.

That fat little tummy of yours,
and your lazy little butt.
I can't forget how when I used to walk you,
you'd sit in the middle of the road, sigh, you're such a walnut.

You're the sunshine to my skies
gosh! those naughty little eyes
Can't ever get over your silly habit of licking my toes
and your wet, pink nose.

With love,

Minahil Malik.

Same same, But Different!

Name: Ariba Shahid
Class: A1C4

Same Same, But Different

NO Dicrimination! We are all the same.

I don't even know if I'm black with white stripes or white with black stripes

I'm a human that's all I need to know to survive.

'Cause distinguishing through races isn't going to teach me how to strive,

'Cause that's just not the way to live your life.

We're all one, same species, same kind.

Just 'cause we look different doesn't mean we should find

Flaws in each other, just to mess around with minds.

We're from the same species we're of the same kind.

These racist freaks must be real insecure,

But what can we do about them, there is no cure

For the madness stuck inside their heads,

Cause progress is what they most dread.

Haters will hate everything different.

Son now you got to be different to make a statement

To show them you aren't scared of freaking establishment

Of norms these insecure freaks spent their life's making.

We're from the same parents, Adam and Eve.

Why don't we get along.

How can we watch someone bleed?

Why do we have to hate, what's the need?

Can't we forget the differences and pay no heed

To them, the world would be much better - I believe

We breathe the same air, don't we?

We need the same things - water, shelter, food and a warm bed.

We ain't different, that better get stuck in your head.

Cause the moment it does we will head

To success, equality and peace,

Cause peace is all we really need!

We're all one, same species, same kind.

Just cause we look different doesn't mean we should find

Flaws in each other, just to mess around with minds.

We're from the same species we're of the same kind.

Journey At Chapter

Poet:
Ali Asgher Makati
Deputy Head Boy
A2S2

JOURNEY

It is a short journey, whichever way you see,

The happiness of today seems so vague and light to me,

These faces so elated with jokes and laughs around,

Will only have these bricked walls as witness when there is none around!

All these spirited faces, that feel so lively now..

Will be here even rarely with time running around.

Soon we'll abode to other places, leaving this home of ours,

To start another journey that's scripted to be our destiny..

And now soon enough we'll leave,

back packed of memories to which we'll weep.

its just around the corner,the time when we'll call it a day,

However badly we would want too, we wouldn't be able to stay.

But among-st what we we'd take with us

will be the intangible love,

the sagacity of books along with the exuberance of triumphs,

The smiles and cries together with all retards we call our friends,

And a 'bond' so strong that even-

these words wouldn't comprehend.

But we still have so much at hand,

so cherish it while you can,

live it up! do not misspend,

you beautiful chapter please, please do not end. :')

Chapter: How it is when we're there :)
Photo Credits: Syed Zohaib Ahmed

Chapter: How it is without us </3
Photo Credits: Moaaz Sidat

Your Angel

Kiran Bhimani
A1C2

Believe in what's within you

 This is the first poem I have ever written. I think it was back in the 7th grade. Hope you like it! 

There's a voice of an Angel,

In every being, every soul 

Some listen to, some ignore

Ignorant never feeling whole

Just striving for more, more, more

Following greed, cruelty, lies, and war

They had desires for love and lust

Chasing success, money and respect

Fools, do they not know will turn into dust?

Did not consider life's most important aspect

The pure voice was overpowered by the voice of Greed. 

God created all, let it not be in vain

Your Angel waters the flower of Spring

But an ant squished by your foot is crying in pain

Why would you care for the silly little thing?

You turned a deaf ear to the Voice of Mercy!

Wake up! Rise! Don't you realize?

Even the land deserves love!

She wanted you to stop it, to call a truce

But instead you shot the white Dove

Why Fight? Why Kill? Why Abuse?

Why listen to the Voice of War?

You fools killed a very special friend.

He fought against all evil, yet was never used

And we shall grieve for him till the very end

It stood for all good, saved the wrongly accused 

But his sound was muffled by the Devil of Lies!

Open your ears! Listen, Listen, Listen to the voice!

Hear it? Now think of your deeds. Seem vile, right?

Don't you blame the Devil, everything was your own choice

Beware! Many more voices are still yet to ignite. 

Now, now, there's no use of panicking

Death's just around the corner, you are too late

Soon you shall be left regretting

Start praying, after all,  it's all a matter of fate

If only you would have listened to your Angel...

Cheers