#35 Hola Diciembre!

Another year almost gone...how are we holdin' up?

Dec 09, 2023

Dear reader,

Anam here! With the year 2023 departing, I guess we are all supposed to gauge where we stand right now. What goals we were able to achieve, what we couldn’t, what amends we would want to make in ourselves and what we would like to introduce or remove from our lives.

Some of us at this time of the year reflect upon the mistakes of this past year, some regret missed opportunities, wasted time, some relish the glitzy remnants of this year up to the last bite, some set resolutions for the upcoming year, while others hurry to be able to tick the remaining items on their bucket list 2023. And some, like me, sit tight, waiting for good times in the new year and hoping that 2024 would be even better.

So, what are you doing at this time of the year? Are you warming yourself up for the new year revelry?

Updates

I want to let you know that I have updated my website, added a “Services” section in the menu and more… check it out. You will find more details on the website about what services I am offering.

Also, my poem “Mirage”, which won me the Verse of Silence Poetry Contest, is published in the autumn issue of Verse of Silence. You will find the poem below. And enjoy reading the rest of the sections!

Verse

1. The Swan by Mary Oliver

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Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river?
Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air –
An armful of white blossoms,
A perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned
into the bondage of its wings; a snowbank, a bank of lilies,
Biting the air with its black beak?
Did you hear it, fluting and whistling
A shrill dark music – like the rain pelting the trees – like a waterfall
Knifing down the black ledges?
And did you see it, finally, just under the clouds –
A white cross Streaming across the sky, its feet
Like black leaves, its wings Like the stretching light of the river?
And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?
And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?
And have you changed your life?

2. Invitation by Mary Oliver

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Oh do you have time
to linger
for just a little while
out of your busy

and very important day
for the goldfinches
that have gathered
in a field of thistles

for a musical battle,
to see who can sing
the highest note,
or the lowest,

or the most expressive of mirth,
or the most tender?
Their strong, blunt beaks
drink the air

as they strive
melodiously
not for your sake
and not for mine

and not for the sake of winning
but for sheer delight and gratitude –
believe us, they say,
it is a serious thing

just to be alive
on this fresh morning
in the broken world.
I beg of you,

do not walk by
without pausing
to attend to this
rather ridiculous performance.

It could mean something.
It could mean everything.
It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote:
You must change your life.

3. Mirage by Anam Tariq

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The biggest one breaks in the absence of beats
like the sky in the absence of dusk, 
the star of our system’s rays 
crack through— 
spreading cracks of a broken mirror.

Man plans to colonise Mars,
work-force works out retirement plans,
you get comfy in hard-built homes… 
long, long time, settle in 
Day comes after day, greater expectations.
But do days add or subtract?
The thing that keeps you going

sticks to you like glued hands,
sings you lullabies 
to apparent, spun-out, sweet dreams,
is the horizon, the great American Dream
until it outruns you.

The speed breaker of life 
you hit
to go lie down in your lair
haze from your windscreen shifts
you see
how another person, your progeny perhaps,
the glib mirage of this world goes on to pursue.

Quote of the day

Some people change your life forever. Some people make you strive to be a better person. Some people help you find yourself right when you’re ready to give up.
— Kyle, See You on Venus

What I found worth sharing

Quotes for writers from writers
Some resources for learning Arabic (if you’re learning Arabic like me): Duolingo Arabic course; Udemy Arabic course; Certificate in Arabic Language in online mode (IGNOU)
The Antiquery Magazine is having a virtual event (The Big Antiquery Podium) on Dec. 17th where poets can read their poetry in a five-minute slot. Register here if you wish to.