S - E - X – Y

S - E - X – Y

“You are not S-E-X-Y.”, he said by spelling the alphabets, not pronouncing the word. Every alphabet is echoing in her ears now individually with all the pressure. It’s already 2 am in the morning but these words and thoughts won’t let her sleep. She grew up with this complexity inside her; it grew with her as she was growing. It was a complex she was hiding inside and anyone if ever touched that, would erupt like a volcano and burn her like a dry autumn leaf. She was always told she’s not pretty, now at her senior year she heard it most often, people around reminding her of not being sexy or eye-catching for any guy.

She shut the door of her thoughts commanding her mind she is not a guy questing girl rather a rebel, fighting for dreams. She closed her eyes…..

It was a beautiful day, sunny though the clouds would ramble on and off blocking the sun. They were on their way home after school with their mother. She bought them the new flavor chewing gum of which they were making bubbles. She was 12 years old and her sister two years older. They met their neighbor Mrs. Gold on their way. “Is she your younger daughter? Oh! She’s not pretty at all! Doesn’t she eat anything?” , exclaimed Mrs. Gold.  Her mother turned her half embarrassed and half angry gaze at her daughter. Mother was sick of people telling her that her younger daughter is ugly and she’s too skinny as if dried by the heat of India in June.

She was suddenly up in her bed by the childhood memory. It was 3:15 am now. She picked up her phone; she was sure he’d still be up and phoned him. “Hello! I give a damn about not being SEXY” , she preferred to say the word than the alphabets. “I am not some movie star to be perfect looking, I don’t have the breasts of Nicki Minaj or the ass like Kim Kardashian or could look sandy hot in pictures like Naomi Campbell for I am more of an ordinary lass struggling for myself and working my ass out to realize my dreams. I know you can’t handle a strong head, determined girl like me so stop throwing your shit over me! Do you have greasy smooth muscles of David Beckham or the charm like Daniel Craig or at least, at least the action of Jackie Chan?” She paused for a moment to breathe. “Here, tell me do you have anything productive in your mind other than thinking about girls, girlfriends, how hot or sexy she is or isn’t? Do you have any future plans apart from getting married and eating up what your father has earned? I am way better than you for I am what is beyond sex, sexy or marriage. I have a dream to save the starving creatures of the miserable world and snatch for them the excessive wealth you have which certainly you don’t deserve.”

She banged the phone and went to bed with teary eyes and trembling hands still thinking about not being sexy.   

Roséro

Roséro

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw your face,

I smiled to myself...

Even if I was going through hell.

In those days of rigor

When all was grey and blue,

A soul that lodged within was you

Who solaced me for a day green and new.

Those very days that I spent

In the deep, dark well were long but few.

In the course, I realised,

If I spend the rest of my life

In a cage trapped, my wings trimmed,

May never respire the air anew;

I could still survive-

Merrily with the memories of you.

Days we spent were countable and less

Though, marked my heart with a scar,

No flood could ever remove.

I cherished every moment we spent,

Your thoughts curved the blue purse

That once used to be red.

Whenever your memories I read,

For this lifeless soul, you were the breath.

Less than a fortnight that we not met

Oh, we traversed a mile step,

"Now two souls within a body were built."

A new "Roséro" burgeoned

From the mystic pollen

With love as its scent.

The Proposal - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"The Proposal"

It bumped out of nowhere,

Matchless, reckless, pointless;

When a Bee asked an Elephant 

That it was only his cuteness

Which won't let her sleep 

But that the queen shall never agree

Though, they can always flee

To a grassland where happily they can live. 

The Elephant startled when proposed the Bee.

Together they may form a moppet to spring

Who might be named as Beelphanties.

Continued she...

Turned around thinking to say Nei 

"Don't you dare to refuse a lovely offer by me."

That its heart felt a burn,

Realised that it was the stinging poison injected by the bee

"Nevertheless I'm a girl, say 'yes' or get killed." 

Uttered she....

A Murderess - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"A Murderess"

In a battle I am, 

To kill or to live?

Only, that I'm confused, 

"Would I be a murderess

If I kill my own soul?" 

poetry by Neelum Afridi

The Unwanted Choice - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"The Unwanted Choice"

Walked alone down a dry road

It was colourless, all lifeless, dead

And well-worn.

A butterfly flew near me, it whirled,

Caressed me, showed all its vibrancies

As it capered.

Initially I ignored, shooed it away.

"No place for you."

I said in a harsh way.

It still buzzed around, touched my ears,

Kissed my eyes; then it said,

"I know I'm not your choice."

The words melted my heart.

Instantly I realised,

"I always wanted this rainbow in my life."

I ran after the butterfly, but it flew away.

I tried to chase; worthless!

All it said before it left,

"We can't be together

As I am an unwanted choice."

Now it's gone, I'm all alone.

"Yeah, you were not my choice,

Though I think better now

That I always waited

For this unwanted choice

In my dreary life"

I cried towards the red sky

Yet I watched the sunset forlorn.

The Unlit Cigarette - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"The Unlit Cigarette"

Puffed the cigarette

Held between his lips

In the cold night of the snowy Christmas.

Stood beside the frozen lake,

Beneath the bridge of the black secrets.

He was lost in the murky dusk,

Played by the needles of his compass.

The frosty wind jabbing him hard

On his frailly back,

Reminding him how he was trapped

in the net woven by the wool

Of his own woolen cap.

Removed the cap from his bald head,

Flung it away into the misty firmament.

Puffed the cigarette once again,

The smoke this time reflected some alphabets,

It said,

"Curse those friends who

Can't lit your unbranded cigarette. "

You Never Asked - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"You Never Asked"

Pitch-dark night,

a moth struggles for light,

a story of struggle at height.

But, you never asked,

about its lonely-life,

which is why It cried.

The very first flight,

It's enthusiastic with no fright,

there it goes, that it

burns its wing at right.

It falls down in plight,

to stand up and fight.

Once again, it rises

with a single wing, still tries.

Oh, this time,

It burns its only wing.

No more it can glide,

On the ground it lies,

thinking all over at night,

the next morning it decides,

"No wings, that's fine,

after all the tiny legs are mine,

they have all the might. "

Once more, it starts its journey,

with its head high.

We can all guess in precise,

the end of this heroic tale,

the moth gave its life,

in search of its heart’s desire.

Though, all this time,

it waited for you to ask,

"How is this lonely-life?"

No, you never did and it died,

with a heart-aching sigh!

Wait - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"Wait"

It's like standing,

bare feet,

on a glacier’s,

 peak.

Alike,

 peregrinating

a desert,

sans water.

That is how,

 It feels,

When I wait,

 for thee.

Oh, Spring!

come quick,

let me live;

You're my bliss.

Or, I'll wither,

like an autumn leaf,

dead and displeased,

with no life to live.

An Answer - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"An Answer"

The air echoes with the sobs

Of half-opened flowers

 Plucked before they blossomed.

What will you answer the Almighty

O lethal plucker,

When the sobs will reach

The Gardens of Eden?

A Mother Cried - English Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"A Mother Cried"

Limpid, lucent, pure, deep, Crystal clear;

Drop fell off those green, hazel eyes.

The eyes of a mother streamed

That river as her youngling's reverie rived.

She descried her youth's red eyes

In those rives.

A mother Cried because her

Moppet cried.

Gratitude - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"Gratitude"

Gratitude to you,

I know not who! 

Maybe the

arrogant air

with an arrow

so aloof.

Never you knew, 

pages were blued

by quills with clues

of thy moves, 

to compose my tome.

Your mind's eye

is blind to read

that I write.

Nevertheless, I pay

my gratitude,

with a "Who", to you!

Cold Breeze - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"Cold Breeze"

In the days of loneliness

A cold breeze would blow 

To console my soul.

To accompany me with

 Its cool, stinging blow,

Though cold, yet, warm.

Now, in a throng, 

When all is warm,

I miss that breeze so cold.

An Arrow - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"An Arrow"

An Arrow

shot from a bow, 

travelling without

any hope.

Asks today

something of

a youthful Soul,

"I know your address, 

may I land on your door? "

Teddy's Farewell - Poetry by Neelum Afridi

"Teddy's Farewell"

There ran a teddy bear, 

stumbled over a stone, 

looked up he, found

a girl laughing. 

The girl was alone

in the jungle. 

Teddy took her hand, 

promised to lead her. 

Teddy was with her

they chuckled and played, 

slowly traveled they,

took every step together. 

Teddy was lazy,

girl was steady, 

an odd combination, 

now were buddies.

In little time they, 

made a home in

their hearts, for each other,

to them, days were ephemeral. 

Sun rose, it faded, 

Moon shun, Stars appeared.

This is how passed the

course of clock, unaware. 

Forgot they that

he was a Teddy, 

the girl was a she. 

With news, once rose the sun's heat.

Teddy told the girl,

“jungle has ended, 

I kept my promise, 

now lead your traces.”

Cried the girl,

protested she.

But, alas! every rise has a fall, 

every meeting, a farewell.