Ladle Hands Poem by Rehan Hyder

Holding on like diehard slander
her roses grabbed her garment
of perennial autumn
and set off for one last treasure hunt
boarded the last rickshaw of hope

her youth a mockery of spring
hands ladles and spoons
nails rusted can opener
seen happiness from such a distance
that treats it with disdain when nose close near
nuptial knot not a salacious ruffle of ribbons
but a thunderous rap of lenders
sidestepping the bier of family ego
boarded a trouble trove
died when her first bud bloomed
died thence thrice
dragged herself and her new liability on ward’s floor
gangway! ! ! ! yelled nurses
for the palms that some greasy promises hold
died when neighbour’s firstborn was enrolled

a train ride! ! scraping scanty excitement
from hollow of marrow
her flowers waving their crimson (though dusty) petals
were reflection of excitement that cringed earth
that puked them into this dirt
walked click clack of giggles
redemption appeared on the corner
cowcatcher- beaming visage of messiah
she lovingly covered their eyes with her ladle hands

[ DAWN News LAHORE, April 12: A woman committed suicide with her two children by throwing herself in front of a train in Naseerabad area of the city on Saturday.

Police said Ms Bushra,30, carried a bag which contained a suicide note. Reading from the note, a police official said Ms Bushra, wife of a welder, had committed suicide because of poverty.

The woman appeared on the main railway line along with her two children at around 12.20pm when a train coming from the Cantonment station was approaching there.

“Despite an alarm raised by shopkeepers and some passers-by, she threw herself on to the track, ” rickshaw driver Rashid Naseer, who witnessed the incident, told Dawn.

He said Ms Bushra covered the eyes of her son and daughter with her hands before taking the leap]