Khadim Hussain (27 July 1957 / Lunger Pur Baly, Jhellum, Pakistan)

Aftab kept crying!
Soothing words of the mother,
Drowned by the raindrops dancing on the glass.

Drunks, attempting to sing, staggered homewards
Through the bitter howling wind.
Aftab kept crying!

Noisy neighbours,
Chattering late night crowd,
All drowned by the raindrops dancing on the glass.

Father’s desperate clapping,
His favourite teddy bear in his lap, still
Aftab kept crying!

Ring of burglar alarms,
Neighbour’s loud ghetto blaster,
All drowned by the raindrops dancing on the glass.

Through rhythms of the rattler,
And mother’s soothing lullaby, still
Aftab kept crying!
All drowned by the raindrops dancing on the glass.