With worn out eyes she sits in the balcony,

Trembling with pain she groans.

Staring towards the horizon far away,

She yearns for her long lost days.

Tasneem Hossain, a renowned multi-lingual poet from Bangladesh, shares her poetry

Tasneem Hossain, majoring in English Language and Literature is a multi-lingual poet from Bangladesh. She writes poems in English, Urdu and Bengali. She is also a columnist, fiction and op-ed writer, translator, educator and trainer. Her impactful writings appear frequently in esteemed publications worldwide like: Human Rights Art Movement, Wordsmith International Editorial, Southern Arizona Press, MockingOwl Roost, Setu, Pen magazine, Valiant Scribe, Prodigy Magazine (USA), Borderless Journal (Singapore), Discover Mississauga and More-eBook, Mindtalkers (Canada), Dark Thirty Poetry Publishing, Krishnochura (UK), Polis Magazino, Homo Universal (Greece), Borderless Journal (Singapore) Worvid and Homagi International Magazines (Indonesia), INNSÆI Journal, Cultural Reverence, MicroPoetry Cosmos, The Fatehpur Resolution, TAAHIRA E- ZINE, Khwahish (India), Sindh Courier (Pakistan), Orfeu.al (Kosovo), Alessandria Today (Italy), Atunis Galaxy Poetry (Belgium), Gazeta Destinacioni (Albania), EDAS Chronicle, The Dhaka Literature, An Ekushey Anthology, Pencraft International, The Global Nation, Dhaka Prokash 24.com, bdnews24.com, The Daily Star, The Business Standard, Asian Age Online, Daily Observer (Bangladesh).

She is an author of three poetry books: ‘Grass in Green,’ ’The Pearl Necklace,’ ‘Floating Feathers’ and a book of articles ‘Split and Splice’. Four more books are underway.

Poetry, to her, is music through words; an ever-flowing river reflecting all that surrounds us.

As an author, she tries to spread message of love, hope, mercy and create an awareness of social responsibilities and human rights.

She worked as faculty of English Language in Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology. She is the director of a prominent human resource development organization Continuing Education Centre (Bangladesh) and Cansaz Services and Distribution LLC (Canada). She has 27 years of experience as a professional trainer.

 She runs an international poetry writing project and group named Life in Lyrics.

A sportswoman, she also worked as newscaster, commentary reader and radio presenter in radio Bangladesh for 10 years and directed dramas like Shakespeare’s, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.

The Invisible Cord

With worn out eyes she sits in the balcony,

Trembling with pain she groans.

Staring towards the horizon far away,

She yearns for her long lost days.

 

Chubby cheeks and smiling faces of her children come flashing back,

Jumping and spoiling her lovely dress.

She looks in the mirror on the table and sees an old wrinkled face

As years and months have passed by, tending to them and mending their ways.

 

Now they live in a far off land,

As she sits alone on the lonely terrace

They had left as she had wished,

She wanted for them to have all that was best.

 

Her eyes glisten with the sound of bells.

A flickering of hope races by with a momentary bliss.

“Here comes my hero, I’m glad

Who brings a little joy and peace when I am sad!’

 

She smiles and touches her belly,

Feels the movements of their tiny feet

No one in this world can cut the invisible umbilical cord

Connecting the hearts of mother and child, it’s true my lord.

 

Yes, today is the day. She knows.

Silence engulfs her, she looks distant

Tears roll down her cheeks,

As she looks up towards the sky, very weak.

 

A sigh,

A smile.

 

“God keep them happy forever that is all I seek from thee.

Thank you, my Lord, for having blessed me and sending them to me”

……….

An aching pain grips his heart, as he leans and sees her marble eyes,

Gaze still open with a far longing hope, not glistening anymore.

She had wanted nothing for her gain except struggle, to bring for them the best

And shower the love she had only for them.

 

Not knowing what to do with this specter of a mother,

He sits there in silence, as the world around him darkens…….

***

My Opal

Come my love,

Sweetly lie beside me.

On the crimson, yellow hued leaves of fall;

You are an opal. Shining brightly,

Amidst them all.

 

You breezed into my life.

Touched my soul, made me feel alive,

Softness of your voice, melodies in my heart;

Wonder how I lived

Without you, so long, by my side;

 

Echoes of your laughter, music in the air;

Caressing loving touch, whispers in my ears;

Splashing sea waves serenading sea shells.

Power of your love,

Purifies my soul.

 

The meaning of my life,

Begins and ends with you. My heaven, my sanctuary

You are my true destiny. Come softly

Come sweetly lie beside me;

My Opal.

________________

Read: The Journey Beyond – A Bouquet of Poems from Bangladesh