Walking By Windows Poem by Akhtar Jawad
Walking By Windows
The vagabond was once again on the window,
Begging love and asking to open the gate,
And the fairy inside the house reluctant,
Said helpless she was being slave of the fate,
First you peep in the four windows,
Starting from a slum to a palace very nice,
Go and see what happens on the earth,
Come back if the fire does not turn into ice,
It's an enchanted house, its keys you will get,
If you can keep intact your fire inside,
But if you are turned in a cold frozen flush,
Just watch me from the window outside.
The peeper was amused so easy it looked,
He went to a slum by the dirty drainage,
Vomiting started but he was constrained,
The needy of love moved on garbage.
He peeped inside a hut of the slum,
A child was crying and asking her mother,
Food, food, I am hungry, I am dying,
You're careless and you don't bother,
With tearful eyes the widow replied,
Go to the corner cigarette shop,
You will find standing many gentlemen,
Ask them, do you need some exciting pop?
Bring someone get some advance,
Go to a hotel have awesome food,
Come back after call for the predawn prayers,
For your mother too please bring some food.
A cold wave started blowing within me,
In the heat strokes of the early hot June,
Someone from the far, who was he?
Playing on the violin a very sad tune,
Child came out from the hut of pains,
I stopped the child and gave some money,
Go and bring some food for the two,
I can only provide a few drops of honey,
What next I don't know I am not the God,
Why it happens why it is so how long will it go,
I have come on a mission now should leave,
To the next window please let me go.
It's a colony of a poor ailing lower class,
All the windows are open at this place,
A man is beating his beautiful wife,
An unseen pain on the husband's face,
He is an addict and in trouble at this time,
He is asking for money and beating his wife,
She earns livelihood by cutting and stitching,
Her earnings have become a source of strife,
From the money I brought some flour and pulses,
Now I don't have any more left for your drugs,
He pulled her shirt and turned her out,
Come back with money, his shameless shrugs!
The woman when saw me she was afraid,
I gave her some money and also my shirt,
My palms my feet all turned cold,
Throats were dry I forgot my flirt.
Next window a colony of middle class,
I selected a window for peeping inside,
Loud voices were coming out of it,
Scene difficult and hard to abide,
Have extra income from your office,
To a husband, it was telling his wife,
Everyone is earning by accepting the bribes,
A couple I saw in a serious strife,
I have to deposit school fees of children,
Any extra income why don't you bring,
Your salary is over now what can I do,
They will stay at home in the coming morning,
The husband said I am an honest man,
Get rid of your honesty and join the tribe,
I can't I am honest because my job,
Does not provide an opportunity of the bribe,
The money that was left I threw inside,
Heat of money now gone with a breeze,
I was cold like water of a lake in winter,
That is too cold and about to freeze.
To a nice palace of rich upper class,
Anyhow I moved forward once again,
I didn't find any window to peep,
With so many pains and my refrain,
I climbed on a tree and jumped inside,
Two dogs started barking at me,
They pulled my trousers from my legs,
They were in mood of parking at me,
I ran and found an open window,
Once again I jumped inside a room,
It was a side room, with a door to the blow,
From the key hole I managed a zoom,
I peeped inside found a barking wife,
You did not come with a handsome friend,
You old impotent I told you several times,
To come with a friend at every weekend,
Kicked in her husband in dark side room,
When he saw me there he was afraid,
In just under wears looked like a thief,
I told him my story and I then said,
I want a dress be kind to redress,
He smiled and uttered, I am in need,
Take a dress you like from the wardrobe,
We are now friends, friends in deed,
While he was knocking at the violent bed room,
Darling! My friend is here see him if you can,
I put on a dress jumped back to the lawn,
As fast as I can to the gates I ran,
The dogs and the guard did not bother to see,
A block of ice rolling down to the gate,
I ran and ran to my hot lovely home,
That was my fate, it's never too late!
(Inspired by Saadat Hassan Manto's short story Thanda Gosht, Cold Flesh)
Beautiful poem Walking through different windows and each window had a different tale to tell. I loved reading each lines till the end. As i was passing through each window i could picturise it very well. It just reminded me of my childhood, where we used to listen to stories. Quite interesting. Loved each lines.
Great adventure! But peeping through others' window is not a good habit...... Your life can be in danger..... you are likely to be mistaken to be a robber or a cranky fellow.... Be cautious Akhtarji......(just teasing!) Very descriptive with beautiful rhyming! Enjoyed!
We all have problems whether were rich or poor it's how we manage to solve our problems and to live life to the full whatever happens in our life! Beautiful, creative write!
oops! some of my first comment has a large section repeated. :) at least what is copied twice was complementary, not inflammatory! ! !
for me, the most curious line so far: An unseen pain on the husband's face, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i did not know pulses were foods (legumes): i know now! and the use of shrugs? it is a great rhyme for drugs, but the wording of the line is leaving me not sure. is the husband shrugging his shoulders as he 'turns her out' to get money? will she have to go to the cigarette shop as well? ? my favorite stanza so far: The woman when saw me she was afraid, I gave her some money and also my shirt, My palms my feet all turned cold, Throats were dry I forgot my flirt. .......................WHO IS THIS GUY? ok, not God. hmmm? an angel? me? you? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To a husband it was telling his wife, ..... the To is a 'problem' for me. if there was a comma after telling, i'd think the wife was telling it to the husband, it being that he should [like everybody else] take bribes when he is at work. right? ? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - this stanza gave me a big, though brief, laugh at its ending. of course, it is 'sad' that they live in a society where money is tight and bribery is rampant, AND the husband says he is honest, BUT it is because he does not have the opportunity to be dishonest! ! ! ! ha! ! wonderful stanza, though 'sad', as i said before. of course, the U.S. has plenty of 'sad' stories as well, 'knock on wood'. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I climbed on a tree and jumped inside, ........this gave me a little laugh. i must admit, as a teenager, i once went through the window of an unoccupied house of a girl i went to school with. i was snooping, not stealing. i was on the property to mow their lawn and they were away. BUT while inside looking at girl's underwear, i thought i heard the garage door opening. i hid under the bed until i was sure no one had come home. then i got OUT! phew! ! ! ======================================== THIS IS A GREAT POEM SO FAR, AND i am pleased that you have offered it to be placed into my April Showcase on my PH site. :) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -==================== For me, the most curious line so far: An unseen pain on the husband's face, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i did not know pulses were foods (legumes): i know now! and the use of shrugs? it is a great rhyme for drugs, but the wording of the line is leaving me not sure. is the husband shrugging his shoulders as he 'turns her out' to get money? will she have to go to the cigarette shop as well? ? my favorite stanza so far: The woman when saw me she was afraid, I gave her some money and also my shirt, My palms my feet all turned cold, Throats were dry I forgot my flirt. .......................WHO IS THIS GUY? ok, not God. hmmm? an angel? me? you? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To a husband it was telling his wife, ..... the To is a 'problem' for me. if there was a comma after telling, i'd think the wife was telling it to the husband, it being that he should [like everybody else] take bribes when he is at work. right? ? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - this stanza gave me a big, though brief, laugh at its ending. of course, it is 'sad' that they [YOU as well? ] live in a society where money is tight and bribery is rampant, AND the husband says he is honest, BUT it is because he does not have the opportunity to be dishonest! ! ! ! ha! ! wonderful stanza, though 'sad', as i said before. of course, the U.S. has plenty of 'sad' stories as well, 'knock on wood'. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I climbed on a tree and jumped inside, ........this gave me a little laugh. i must admit, as a teenager, i once went through the window of an unoccupied house of a girl i went to school with. i was snooping, not stealing. i was on the property to mow their lawn and they were away. BUT while inside looking at girl's underwear, i thought i heard the garage door opening. i hid under the bed until i was sure no one had come home. then i got OUT! phew! ! ! ======================================== THIS IS A GREAT POEM SO FAR, AND i am pleased that you have offered it to be placed into my April Showcase on my PH site. :) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - They were in mood of parking at me, ....parking? ? ? or barking? or killing? ! and the use of blow and zoom are new to me. Pakistani slang? ? - - - - - - - You old impotent I told you several times, To come with a friend at every weekend, .........this also caused me to laugh. well, a woman has to get it somehow! under wears here i would write underwear, but perhaps…….! The use of poetic license allowed anyway. i typed underwears at first but the computer underlined it. of course! for some reason we spell underclothing underwear, with no s. but we do use the word pants, with an “s”, for outerwear! Take a dress you like from the wardrobe, We are now friends, friends in deed, ....so the peeper is a she or a cross dresser, OR just too cold to care if he gets a dress or pants/trousers? or is dress used to denote clothing of any kind here? ? and i would use indeed, but in deed sounds ok i guess! - - - - - another favorite stanza: While he was knocking at the violent bed room, Darling! My friend is here see him if you can, I put on a dress jumped back to the lawn, As fast as I can to the gates I ran, ..........this is so good! at first i thought Did i write this one? then i remembered it is Akhtar's poem. ha ha GREAT RHYMING! ! ! well, it was nice [and honest] that you gave credit to Saadat Hassan Manto's short story Thanda Gosht, Cold Flesh) ! ! you put together a fine poem! i loved it. it shall go to MyPoemList. bri :)
He peeped inside a hut of the slum, A child was crying and asking her mother, Food, food, I am hungry, I am dying, You're careless and you don't bother Wow. This is a beautiful poem...such stark imagery...Thank you for sharing.
A very interestingwrite. Enjoyed reading it. I had read Mint's short story 'Thanda Gosht' long very long ago. I will try to read it again and seek inspiration myself.
Wow Enjoyed it...... best of Best! ! ! ! amazing one :) :) 10 on 10
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/19/2024 6:47:41 AM # 1.0.0.1119
Everyone has his own pains, a thoughtful poem...............10