Poetry from Another Realm--Dr. Riaz Ahmad

                       An Entrance Tousled muse, this labyrinth and night, Usher me chaste, yonder to pure light, Help me sail swift, alight on filmy gale, Gulp ing all my way , swig s of divine ale .   In a tavern, an inebriate  is  pining away , Wits flouted, heart bleeding, and astray, Bleeding at the altar of love, yet in tears, Convulsing in a tryst, for unknown fears.   In   sottish  state, bless me a starring cup, To fill it with ale, and the divinity  I’ll sup , Like a lucky bird, I wilt verge on the brim, To behold the spark,  aye   my face  to rim !   Someone pours music, like  singing stream, Fountains play on fields, all lush and gleam, In parables of life, let flow heavenly breeze, A glimpse and a startle, my heart shall seize   An infinite sphere, beyond the Sun and sky, The lamp in my heart, lends fuel to  my sig h, Celestial orbs whirl, stars ...

                A missive from motherland   The deprived and oppressed folk, of my  land, Ever  dealt with  ruthlessly, with an  iron hand, Always  thriving below ,  or on the poverty line, Alack! Amid  the fertile lands of rich sunshine.   The  children  live,  in the damp and biting cold, Half naked; ah  on  the  wickers piteously rolled, With wizened visage, their  arms weak and lank, Shelter less they loiter, in the dreary  and dank!   Glitter  less  eyes of stony stare , lackluster smiles The dying flicker slaughtered, on altar of guiles, Blinds drawn across, if there were a  ra y of  hope, Abandoned to the  abyss , hapless   they’d  grope!    And  dexterous hands, swapped with  the bowls, Begging for alms,  the humanity  sinks and  fouls, From pillar to post ,  abjectly they are ...

  My prayer   My diction may be, not  worth a crown, Nay I engage  phrases for some  renown, Ah the  lines  glitter,  in their humble flow, Strew  scintilla in  dark,  soft  in  their  glow!   Wherefr om come? I  know it  naught, But of the very grit ,  they are wrought, Of mine heart, blood and the soul all, Born of wounded heart, may enthrall   Silent hearts, that would  impart force, To doused passions, run violent course , Then  engrossed , truly in a  tumult wild, Ah  tossed  on wildfire, as angels smiled   Thoughts often cross my mind and go, A few remaining, may to flashes grow, Thence ignite ardour, the ire within me To realm of fantasy and vehement glee.   To the secret whispers, I lend the  tongue, Deep  in my heart , O  squeezed and wrung, And the pent up charge ,  very often I vent, I’m a  loner , with my  mind’s...

              A wondrous S troll   And  must  blow  softly,  that icy gale, Over mountains, hills and  the v ale, N ight  to fall,  I’d   quickly  plod ded  on, Into   silence , I wert so  gently  drawn.   And  an icy drift ,  must tardily blow, On my  face ,   to  beat  the flaky  snow, My  flowing  breaths ,  trail ed  behind, Glare of snow , the glower to blind.   In dank and  cool , the  moonlit night, I beheld wren s ,  on the twigs alight, To the whistling wind,  carol a song, Medi t a ting alone,   I’d  trekke d  along.   Away from the mankind,  far  away! Amidst  icy  gales ,  I ’d  love d to  sway, Yon and afar, O my  wanton  glance ! In a misty blank, I eyed  flakes dance.   On the virgin snow, gallantly I trod , A t...