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HARMONY

A COLLECTION OF POEMS BY
ZEENAT IQBAL HAKIMJEE
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Copyright © 2017
All Rights Reserved ChaiChalk Publications

ChaiChalk Publications
Social Innovation Lab, Lahore University of Management Sciences, DHA,
Lahore Punjab 54000
www.chaichalk.com

Ordering Information:
Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by
corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at
the address above. Please contact ChaiChalk Publications at
publications.chaichalk.com

First Printed in 2017

No part of this book can be reproduced, shared in a

retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by any means,
without prior permission in writing of the author.

#MadeInPakistan

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PREFACE

I was in perfect harmony with nature when I wrote

these poems. Autumn a season with falling leaves and bare
trees is considered by most as gloomy, but oddly enough it
inspired me to put pen to paper to make this humble effort
of writing these poems.
This is my first attempt at writing poetry and
probably leaves a lot to be desired but encouragement is
what is required.
I sincerely hope that you would enjoy reading
these poems as I have writing them.

ZEENAT IQBAL HAKIMJEE

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CONTENTS
GARDEN OF EDEN 6

NO MORE TEARS 7

WHETHER GENUINE CAUSE OF ANGER? 8

POSSESSION 9

THE BANANA 10

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES 11

SACRIFICE 12

COMPANIONSHIP 13

ROMANCE 14

GUILT COMPLEX 15

TILL DEATH DO US IN 16

ENCOUNTER 17

HEAVEN IS AT HER FEET 18

INNOCENCE 19

RESORT TO QUILT 20

LIFE IS SACRED 21

MY WEAKNESS IS MY STRENGTH 22

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CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD 23

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD 24

BEYOND THE GRASP 25

DEATH UNKNOWN 26

LIFES UPS AND DOWNS 27

LIVE AND LET LIVE 28

BUZZ OFF TELEPHONE 29

INNOCENCE 30

TO EACH HIS OWN 31

CONFESSIONS OF A TERRORIST 32

JOY AND SORROW 33

MOMENTS OF BLISS 34

I FELT CHEATED 35

WHAT’S COOKING 36

COURTSHIP BETWEEN 37

THE CAT AND THE CROW 37

BE PUSHY, FRIEND. WHEN REQUIRED 38

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GARDEN OF EDEN

My spirit soars up to the sky,

As I on the lush green carpet lie.

Ecstasy envelopes my always

…Melancholy heart,
As, sudden wind blown ripples,
In the pond start.
As the winter suns, warm rays,
Caress my being I do sway

Frolicking and frisking, from here to there,

Like a lamb, the desire, I wish to bear.

May you bloom forever, my Garden of Eden,

Make my thoughts soar upto, The Seventh Heaven.

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NO MORE TEARS

As you leave for greener pastures,

Tears flown down the cheeks at your departure.

The migrating bird flutters its wings,

Over for it, is the season to sing.

The Bentley turns round the corner

Disappears from sight, now and forever.

I shall miss your nudge and touch,

For our friendship others could vouch.

But since the ‘Sea of Gold’ is at a distance,

Leave for it right now, this instance.

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WHETHER GENUINE
CAUSE OF ANGER?

Enraged I stroll towards

The counter,
To involve myself in
A brutal encounter;
The salesman gave me rupees
Five less,
A gruesome mistake that
He should confess,
Was the well aware
Of it,
Or did the mistakenly
Di it,
Remains to be seen
Or is it
My frustration built in.

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POSSESSION

I own you; your every movement is mine

To do as I please

Why did you do this why did you do that

Raise your voice, or your eyelid bat

Its our of the question I won’t let you out of my sight

You belong to me only to me, you are my birthright

Just the other day your momentary absence felt like

multitude
Was it the toilet or were you astray,

I am suspicious, you I possess.

Do not leave me, I shall feel the betray,

Your look and smile elsewhere, your touch

Are all for me, me only,

From others, to be kept at bay

Do not ever make a start with darling, for another,

It will make the other want to come hither

I feel bold and beautiful in your presence

But am at a loss in your absence

I own, you, you I possess,

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THE BANANA

So I am meant to be fed to the monkey,

Wail till you have an encounter with my peel,

Without the night, stars you shall see,

For still life I join hands with friend apple,

Different shapes of me decorate a cocktail

I lie on the table as the knife slices me open,

An incision in my center, split into pieces,

My seed in you sprout a plant

The likes of which you have to see to believe,

They should call you sprout a plant

I make ‘shakes’ about the reference

What you treasure to eat,

Out of which you should not make mincemeat

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LEARN FROM YOUR

MISTAKES
While jogging I tripped over lace,
Next time tied my shoes with grace,

I sang out of tune at the dinner,

Practice, well almost made me a crooner,

I fell when somebody pulled the chair away

Brushed my right hand, to my Utter dismay,

It was my turn, I said

Tit for tat,

And hurt to my content,

The guilty brat,

In the run with,

Trail and error

I have grown to be
A lot wiser.

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SACRIFICE

It seemed like my paradise was there to stay,

Everything I always wanted I possessed,

To hold to cherish till, I was dead

The envy of the crowd, I swayed to the rhythm

My heart heat and my breath hummed,

We were five in all, two boys and a girl,

The mild summer and a picnic by the beach

Snowflakes on the mountains not our of reach

On holiday or at work
Happiness and contentment always at my doorstep,

Suddenly fate started changing for worse,

The truth came home, not an act to rehearse,

He had to leave my side for greener pastures,

The children went along, all for one, one for all,

I was left all alone, to wipe my tears,

One by one they left me for a motionless floor,

I was all alone, all alone.

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COMPANIONSHIP

Hold my hand; take me to he land,

Where name nor brand,

Will come in between true friends,

Shall go to their house,

Feeling like a louse,

Smiles, warmth, mirth and cheer,
Encompass me from all sides…

Take me away from my swing of mood,

Feel I well and good.

True friendship is hard to find,

With materialism in mind.

Wherever you are, come and touch me,

For mi am abound with sincerity,

A friend I receive…
To avoid the mire….

Always be there.
Give meaning to my blank stare.

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ROMANCE

I love you, my dearest, my cherub,

The sunset and sunrise are for me a spectacle & to behold

Because of your warmth I do not feel the cold

Of the cloudy, dark winter nights,

Logs to burn I need not, nor do indeed the light.

Tomorrow is always a day to look forward to.

In your company life is a bundle of joy.

A tear rolls down my cheek, and shines and sparkles

It beautifies my skin and gives it a certain glow

In your adulation it had to flow.

I captured to kitten through your eyes,

And whispered a lullaby by your sound

Togetherness should last and last.

I am in love, I am in love.

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GUILT COMPLEX

Enclosed in a shell like a tortoise,

Keeping away from the lively movements & noise,

My own I fail to recognize,

Do not shake hands with me please

I am no more, no more at ease,

I suffer from a guilt complex,

Was I the one to destroy a friendship

Or lose my temper in a relationship.

The other day I threw some litter on the road,

Turned a deaf ear to the call for prayer,

I suffer from a guilt complex

I am amazed at my faults.

Have I them or have I not?

Is it just the state of my mind

Or has somebody without cause have me to remind

Of a non-existent situation,

Will I ever surface, 1 suffer from a Guilt Complex.

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TILL DEATH DO US IN

Last night I woke up from a dream,

To realize, that it was not what it seemed,

My companion for my relaxed hours,

Was wet through and through...

No I had not done it...

It was the thunderstorm that possessed it:

I totaled the time,

That flew past the chime,

That rung from my alarm,

To raise me with charm

Out indeed I shall pay no heed

The mattress and I look alike

Bulging from the sides-out, vital statistics 40,40,40

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ENCOUNTER

On my travels such was my plight,

Did Gulliver or Passe-partout with all their might,

Slip in a puddle in broad daylight

Were they bait, to such a trait,

In their Sunday best waiting for a suitor

Who would pronounce romance truer

The mishap with the hair

That turned bald and bare...

Thinking of the worlds miseries...

Had there been no fisheries

No salmon and no trout

To bring about a prick in the mouth;

With the writing to bleed

Promising a bond in a deed.

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HEAVEN IS AT HER FEET

From the moment a child opens its eyes.

To the world and its ties:

She nurtures it like a steadfast rock,

Right from pant to frock.

“And I shall guide you,

On the path that I walked on,

Before you came along.

In sickness and in health,

In poverty and in wealth,

Whenever I needed company,

You gave the note to the harmony.

Sit tight little one...”

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INNOCENCE

As the child looked with his eyes wide open,

I thought, on innocence I would write a poem;

Unaware of the sins committed by society.

Oblivious of death and calamity:

Playing with a toy gun in the hand,

As if the real one has not harmed the land;

Exist, does a lie, denied,

The solemn truth will always preside;

Early in the morning shall I arise...

To greet with a surprise;

The coin planted in my garden

Shall hurst into a tree?

With the money, chocolates I shall buy

And build a house, Hansel Gretel style

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RESORT TO QUILT

The dark cold winter night,

Bring a shudder and a chill to the might

The star at a distance so high.

Part oblivious, because of the cloud in the sky,

The severe, pouring December rain,

From which even the umbrella covered, refrain.

I love to stay indoors,

And protect myself from the downpour.

I snuggle up warm and cozy in my eider-down quilt,

Watching television, sipping coffee,

Plunged on my bed, with my pillow at a slight tilt

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LIFE IS SACRED

In the Garden, the blooming rose.

Tucked in the vase, in a pose.

The sweet fragrance, spread in the air,

Lending grace to an otherwise, room bizarre.

The rich red velvet of the petals.

The crowning glory of the green sepals.

The beauty of this natural piece,

Has at last now, withered and died;

Reminds one all the time,

Life should be lived to the brim,

In case this virtue is denied.

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MY WEAKNESS IS MY
STRENGTH
If there can be appeal
In the scar on that face,

I will take my weakness

With a lot of grace,

If every tumble gives you a chance

To rise erect with a new stance,

When the going gets tough

The tough get going

Yesterday, I fell to-

Get up again and start moving.

In the classroom the young boy

From his neighbor snatched the toy.

The truck rammed into the car

With all its might,

Killed the occupants and threw

Them out a sight,

The sky roared with thunder

Scared stiff as they went down under.

My weakness shall he my strength,

May I never misuse it

Even for one moment.

The meek shall inherit the earth.

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CHILDREN OF A
LESSER GOD

Walking about in torn and tattered clothes, looking messy

with a running nose.

Crippled, unable to walk properly,

The arrogant man looks at him disdainfully.

The other day the car almost ran her down,

As she leaped forward, begging for an aim,

Hand outstretched, unable to see,

In the sun, wearing dark glasses,
Makes him look shady.

For a cheap rate, they are bought,

Are they, Children of a Lesser God?

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ALL THAT GLITTERS IS

GOLD

The morning sun shines through the window,

Making the face beam and glow.

I suddenly feel the urge, to rise and shine.

My feelings take a turn, towards

The lofty and divine,

As I escape the barricade of my bed,

The wasted, whiled hours I now dread.

The sun has injected into me a Potion,

Which makes me want to drive into motion.

The golden globe warms the earth,

Returns the gaiety and the mirth.

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BEYOND THE GRASP

Take your outstretched hand,

See dreams of the Promised Land.

Butterflies in different colors.

Dive and leap and soar,

Honey and nectar on the doorstep,

Would one find such a place on the map.

Where no misery, no bitterness, no sorrow

Looking forward always to a better morrow.

This is what Utopia is all about,

Neither begged, borrowed nor bought

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DEATH UNKNOWN

After death the era seems

Bleak and dreary,

Woven around it an aura of mystery.

Will I have to repent for my sins,

Or will I be classed divine.

All questions answered at the
Mercy of time-

Will I be in Gods domain.

Or will me be, Satan slain,

If I knew distinctly I would

Have an upper hand.

God rules supremely over the

Law of the land.

I am afraid of the outcome of death

Will it or will it not be as I suggest

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LIFES UPS AND

DOWNS

As the mountaineer up the mountain ascends,

Traversing the path that he will have to descend.

At the sight, an ordinary man

Would have shuddered.

Up hills and pitfalls, all a part of life.

Whether it is easy going or only strife.

Sometimes an obstacle comes in the way,

Sometimes it is smooth going all the way,

Life’s ups and downs add to its totality,

Lending to it an air of immortality.

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LIVE AND LET LIVE

You took her out to the

Cozy restaurant for dinner,

I was vociferous in-my appeal,

For you as sinner.

Social taboos should never erect

A wall between us,

Otherwise our relationship

Will take a turn for the disastrous,

My catty instincts
Were aroused by your-

Blast of voice
If only I could have told myself

Never mind, it’s his choice.

The norm of the day is

Follow a strict diet

A pound here or there will not

A tremendous impact
Make on the weight

Live and let live,

Take and learn to give.

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BUZZ OFF TELEPHONE

Be hold and me apprise

Of the current inflation and rise

In atta prices and the general

And of course dowries too

Acquaint you I shall with the

So called water and loo

Escapism with my telephone

From the hullabaloo

Hi, Hullo, how do you do?

Hadn't we just met

Before an hour or two

Serves me right

If it was hate at first sight,

Out a sight, sorry upright, my telephone

Bill read
Not in units, tens but in hundreds
*Atta is translated to ‘flour’

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INNOCENCE

Huddled close by, yet far from the fire blazing.

Watching the cinders creating in the light, the night,

Hush, hush in subdued tones they sat whispering,

The vegetation surrounding them swaying, to and fro in
the door,

The draft humming and wheezing through the cracks,

In the corner, the phone as silent as a graveyard,

The settee and settlers comfortable in its warn embrace,

Victorian paintings in the background, depicting grace,

The image of romance portrayed,

Tring, tring, the bell of the telephone sounds,

The wife speaks to her husband’s company,

Suspicions aroused, seething with rage and jealously,

She bangs the phone and envisages the courts,

Breaking the bond of trust that friendship is all about,

Between man and woman so clean and so pure,

Yet so distant and aloof to the short sighted.

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TO EACH HIS OWN

May I have enough tolerance,

Not to take offence;
At whatever character trait
The other may portray:
If he does not possess....
A sense of humor
Or enjoys spreading
Every once in a while....
A rumor.
Enjoys coming late,
Or does not felicitate.
Why does that foul my mood?
When I sometimes am up to no good.
Do I not see reason,
In the coming season;
What harm can
A living, loving soul,
Do to my whole?
If God has pronounced
The Day of Judgment,
To account for every one's temperament,
Who am I to be displeased,
When somebody does that or this.

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CONFESSIONS OF A
TERRORIST

Possessed by the devil,

I strode out to do evil.

With enmity written large on my face,

Somebody has to be dad in deaths embrace.

Just yesterday a child became an orphan,

And a couple was worried by the ransoms burden.

The fetters of depression behold the city,

Where everyday criminals like me enter captivity.

Karachi, Karachi of yore

Shall hot surface will not surface

Whilst I trigger my double barrel bore.

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JOY AND SORROW

The begum dashes by in -

- Her flashing car,

To meet a companion at -
- A destination afar.

At a meeting point
In a parlor,

Five boys voraciously

In a corner ice Cream devour,

The silk saris and golden bangles

Glittering in the light,

The high heels and the leather purses

Presenting a sight;

The beggar in his torn

And tattered assemblage,

Spreads out his palm

And asks for patronage.

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MOMENTS OF BLISS

The mild rays filtering

Through the tree;

The winter sun beaming

In glee,

The lush green grass

Beneath me,

Forming a carpet softly;

The birds chirping in the trees,

The insects frolicking from here to there

The morning dew drops thinning in the warm air;

An apple in my hand
I keep the doctor away;

What more can one ask for

I to myself say.

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I FELT CHEATED

She was single and lonely,

All of her belonged to me;

At the corner of the building

Looking like a bride,

I spotted her needing

Help at her side

Chivalrously I opted
To do the needful,

She seemed thoroughly pleased

And blissful:

Then suddenly a car stopped by her,

With door flung open.

A man sat inside.

With wide-open arms which did her beckon.

Alas; to my dismay, I was left alone,

Near me no more now, but an illusion.

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WHAT’S COOKING

La Ra Rum go the prancing, dancing,

Flames of the stove,

Amused by this scenario, is the meat

Being cooked above.

The groin softens to the warmth of the fire,

With the cabbage and potato.

It forms an empire.
The unveiling of the platter,

Reveals, fit for a king, matter.

Copied from television this recipe

Is a treat, When near and dear ones,

Altogether do meet.

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COURTSHIP BETWEEN
THE CAT AND THE
CROW

My backyard is livened up
By the cat and the crow.

From a distance they for each other

A liking show.

Caw Caw, Meow Meow they hark & howl.

A din enough, to disturb the neighboring fowl

Both of them perched on the dustbin.

Turn by turn.

Waiting for a morsel, from the kitchen to return.

Up goes the left over meat, in the air,

What ensues would shame the battle for the chair

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BE PUSHY, FRIEND.
WHEN REQUIRED

In the line of bill payers at the bank,

As the fairer sex,

If sick don't just be blank

"Ladies first", "excuse me11, "before you please"

For deals with unpaid bills,

Ask for goods back, threat if you will,

Repeat the request for a job.

You may make it from the mob,

Instead of standing, share the seat on the bus

Isn1t it much better than making a fuss,

Whatever you do during tug-o-war, do not push the rope

Or you'll be the laughing stock amidst cries of,
"What a dope",

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Sometimes an obstacle comes in the way,

Sometimes it is smooth going all the way,

Life’s ups and downs add to its totality,

Lending to it an air of immortality.

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