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!