Shoukat Lohar

Shoukat Lohar is Assistant professor in English at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro. He can be reached at Shoukat.ali@faculty.muet.edu.pk

Éĺéģý for the kidnapped children of Sindh

In the heartland of Sindh, where sorrow looms,

A tale unfolds, shrouded in darkening gloom.

Innocent children, with futures bright and grand,

Now wander lost, in a forsaken land.

 

Ghotki*, O Ghotki, once a place of peace,

Now echoes with wails that refuse to cease.

Mothers weep for their stolen offspring dear,

Their cries ignored, falling on deaf ears.

 

Law and order, a mere illusion, it seems,

As corruption reigns and justice fades to dreams.

The police, once guardians, now blinded by greed,

 

The district commissioner, mired in misdeeds.

 

IG Sindh, can you not hear their plea?

The children of this land, desperate to be free

Unsafe, insecure, their innocence is lost,

As predators prowl, counting the cost.

 

Oh shame, shame on this lawless domain,

Where tribal clashes fuel this endless pain

Sindh, once alive with hope and grace,

Now smothered by darkness, a haunting disgrace.

 

But let us not forget, amidst this despair,

The resilience of a people burdened by care.

For in their hearts, the flame of justice ignites,

A beacon of hope, shining through darkest nights.

 

May the mourning mothers find solace and peace!

May corrupt hands be brought to swift release!

May the children of Sindh be safe, be free,

From this alive hell, may they finally flee!

 

Let this elegy be a call to unite,

To fight for justice, with all our might.

For every child lost, let us raise our voice,

Until Sindh is restored, and its children rejoice.

[* Ghotki, a district in upper Sindh where a number of children have been abducted]

***

Betrayal

In shadows deep, where trust did weep,

Betrayal’s dagger struck so steep.

Oh, history’s echoes, cruel and sly,

Why, like Brutus, must you deny?

 

No soul could love as I loved you,

Breathing your name, a love so true.

Yet, lured by materialistic dreams,

You spurned my love, tore at the seams.

 

But mark my words, as time unfolds,

Beauty fades, as youth beholds.

When age creeps in, and charms decline,

Regret shall visit, a bitter wine.

 

With dampened eyes and snobbish air,

You’ll seek my solace, but I won’t be there.

For your betrayal, a heavy price paid,

Beneath sand dunes, my essence laid.

 

I could have lived, thrived in love’s embrace,

But your betrayal sealed my departure’s trace.

Too late, my dear, to mend the wrong,

For in the realm of trust, you no longer belong.

 

So farewell, my love, to you I say,

May remorse haunt you every single day.

For you reenacted Brutus’ cruel art,

And shattered the love that once beat in my heart.

***

Otherizing

In a world where hearts beat, diverse and true,

Lies a tale of otherizing, a plight we must undo.

For in our ignorance, we sow seeds of division,

Failing to embrace the beauty of our human provision.

 

Oh, the folly of our ways, blinded by fear’s embrace,

We weave webs of prejudice, staining love’s grace.

We label, we judge, with an unseeing eye,

Unaware of the damage caused, as connections slowly die.

 

In skin of different hues, cultures rich and vast,

Lies the tapestry of humanity, meant to forever last.

Yet, we build walls, brick by brick, in our minds,

Shutting out the unfamiliar, a tragedy we find.

 

For within these walls, empathy starts to fade,

As ignorance and hatred gain their wicked trade.

But let us seek understanding, with open hearts and minds,

To bridge the gaps that separate us, and leave no soul behind.

 

Let us delve into the stories, the narratives untold,

Unravel the nuances, and break the stronghold.

For the essence of our existence lies in unity’s embrace,

In celebrating our differences, erasing lines of race.

 

Embrace the stranger, extend a hand,

Break the chains of prejudice, let empathy expand.

For in the core of our being, we are one and the same,

Bound by a shared humanity, with no one else to blame.

 

Let compassion be our compass, and love be our guide,

Together we can cast aside the shadows that divide.

For in the light of acceptance, a symphony shall arise,

Harmony and understanding, where prejudice meets its demise.

 

So, let us shed the cloak of otherizing, my friend,

Embrace the beauty of diversity, let unity transcend.

For in the tapestry of our existence, we find our worth,

As we stand together as one, bound by our shared birth.

_________________