Headline May 31, 2017/ ''' TEARS BY TERMS'''

''' TEARS BY TERMS '''

WHAT SHIMMERS thy memories, in so lean a space and time-

Cradled to heart, I swing by, looking and feeling so late of mime.

If eyes be three, two for you and One for sublime-

Take then just One heart -all worn and torn, to heavens divine.

''Anonymous : The World Students Society ''

What about those who / Drink water from.

The same pond / That cattle, donkeys/

Dogs, cats drink.

     

Rape, hunger, poverty / Are crimes against women 

When will the women of the world unite?

To protect their rights / And exercise them?/

Fight abuse, slavery, prostitution? / When will our thoughts change?

When will we live for ourselves? 

When will we be ourselves?

Poetry as a genre has seen much evolution. William Wordsworth rejected the laboured exercise of writing poetry and declared that poetry should be written in ''the real language'' of men'', and that it should be the ''spontaneous overflow of fleeing.

Yet the  Wordsworthian definition of poetry underwent more changes. Metre, rhyme and rhythm started to take a backseat and more emphasis was placed on the process of thinking, the issues discussed, the emotions revealed.

When T.S. Eliot said , ''People are only influenced in the direction in which they want to go, and influence consists largely in making them conscious of their wishes to proceed in that direction.''

The reader comprehends what he is hinting at. Modern poetry may lack the lyrical quality yesteryears, but it is rich in imagery. 

The emotions expressed are evocative, and the poet succeeds in getting her/his message through.

Life's Triangle by Syeda Henna Babar Ali comprises verses steeped in nostalgic memories. She shares a story of loss, that seems to be immense and traumatic-

She is seen fighting the depression that envelops her like a shroud. *Faisal-I*  recounts the pain and anguish of one who has gone through the experience of watching a loved one suffer:

The lakes in my eyes fill / When I see a racing heartbeat

Scanned through an echo machine-

Racing faster than a spindle.

Innumerable poems have been written about the state of separation caused by death.

The intensity of pain borne by the one who is left behind is deep.   In 'Missing You', Ali finds solace in photographs of the dear departed:

Your photographs adorn my room / My heart lives with moments.

In time waiting to see you again

Speak to you and be with you / Dreams fill my life with hopes

Of sitting together in the armchair of time.''

What makes Ali's verses touching is the simplicity with which the feelings are expressed, taking them almost to the periphery of spiritual experience. In  'Emptiness - I' she writes:

The wall lapsed in time / You and I spend a circle

Of circumstances, crushing stones / At the pyramid.

LIFE'S TRIANGLES expresses the various angles life presents to a person, as the  poet herself   declares in the preface :

''The environment around me and life's experience has been absorbed, assimilated and transformed into the poetic dimension.'' 

The poems explore diverse topics, with such telling titles as 

.- ''What People Say''.

.- ''June in Lahore''

.- ''Motherhood''

.- ''Women's Rights''

.- ''Hunger''

.- ''Jealousy''.

The subjects have been tackled in a manner such that the reader can feel the sincerity and compassion. The Kaleidoscope is vast; and invites the reader to mediate and comprehend the situation the poet is trying to simplify.

The time has come / For me to be  / At  ease with myself

The time has come / For me to say No to others

The time has come / For me to say Yes to myself.

Life's Triangle reflects Robert Frost's words: 

''In three words, I can sum up everything I've learned about life :

*It goes on*.

As a modern poet Ali uses symbols and imagery that are mostly found in the verses of this century. The mention of emails and iPhones give a realistic touch to the ''spontaneous overflow of feelings

With many thanks for Professor Shagufta Yasmeen teaching English Literature : Indeed,  A simple expression of feeling.

The Honor and Serving of the  latest works of  Poets the world over, continues. Thank Ya all for reading and sharing forward and see you on the Following one:

With respectful dedication to all the Poets, Students, Professors and Teachers studying Literature. See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World Students Society and  Twitter-!E-WOW!    -the Ecosystem 2011:

''' !WOW! '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless