A chana orientalis kept in my chamber's light
trapped in a pot
throughout the night
intermittently leaped and splashed
seeking escape from its limited chance
in the pot half filled with water
covered with a bowel's soft round.
In the morning next day
the fish freed from the watery bed
released in the wide courtyard tank
where it swimed with newfound pride
Wih greater freedom it darted and swirled
a metaphor of liberation's art
where boundaries break
and spirits restart.
It's movement spoke a passionate plea
a celebration of being freed
no longer confined by the narrow walls
now swimming with unbridled delight.
Na shaad na baad na azmey aleshaan
Na akhovat na hamdardi Pakistan ka nizaam
Har ja har so badmashon ka istaqbaal
Thano kacheriyon adalton me chalta hai maal
Ye afsoos ka maqaam kahan hai saya zuljalaal?
Note. Na Zindagi shama ki sorat na naiki ki tamana
Jahalat Kay andheray mein har fard yahan Alam chana.
Lesson. Pakistan is not a welfare state and the weak
Have no access to justice. We are living in an unequal
Society where the rule of law no longer covers the poor.
Chana's the face of America
Chana heralded from Iraq
Chana came here with seven sons
and a daughter
~ Everyone of them tough as a rock
Sadam Hussein murdered her husband
She and her children feared for their lives
So they walked through the mountains
toward Turkey
~ Their goal just to live and survive
A thousand miles over rocky terrain
Crying out from the depths of their pain
Blistered feet torn to shreds
nearly abandoned for dead
~ Living each moment in dread
Chana made it alive to Chicago
And here she and her family thrive
For them it's a great place
Their American dream they do chase
free, without fear
~ America's face
This country is great due to Chana
And millions more just like her
Who come here with naught but
the shirt on their back--
From them
~ We have nothing to fear
Listen, I know the game
don't give it up now.
I know my words don't align
with popular culture
and cut deeper than a two edged sword
and may cause discomfort but not
as much as the pain when he doesn't call again
and it was a fraud
There is no time for learning the hard way
Don't give it up now!