#1 As I write this first newsletter...

Hello and Welcome!

Anam here! I really hope that you find this newsletter mesmerizing. I hope that this newsletter will live up to your expectations. As I write this, I know that this newsletter is something that I am most excited about right now, more than teaching or any other job that I do. It is something that feels close to me, maybe because it is my own venture and here I can experiment and express myself in discrete ways possible. It is something that I had always wanted to do. Some of my friends know how I had wanted to start my own literary magazine. Hence, I am trying to do that here! It doesn’t much matter to have 500 or 1000 subscribers. Even if there is a small number of audience, I am stoked that at least you are there to read what I strive to put together. I am glad to let you know that right now I have 15 subscribers and if you really appreciate what I am doing here, I would be happy if you will tell others about it. Also, this newsletter is totally free.

I started this newsletter at a time when I was completely unoccupied, no studies, no work, plus a writer’s block. So the best way to occupy my time was this newsletter where there are no rejections, no restrictions, only a free flow. I had thought to write an article for this one but keeping it for the next time :) Also, since this is the Islamic month of Muharram, I am sharing a poem of mine written in praise of Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A.), which is also a part of my poetry collection A Leaf upon a Book (2022). That said, enjoy the newsletter!

Poetry

1. A Sanguine Pearl, a Mountain of Forbearance by Anam Tariq

Destiny prior unto the eyes unfurled
yet relinquished not martyrdom,
being in the right, issued audacity forth.
A protector renouncing none 
and indeed salvaging for all time -
integrity, verities, maidens' chastity
and his Progenitor's Islam.
A flawless sculpture thus shielded,
at the hands of the Oblivious
the sacred glass did not splinter.
An exemplar for generations,
to relent to fiendish designs not
Imam Hussain's word unto all, a legacy of 
the emblem of morality, the mountain of forbearance.

2. Under the Harvest Moon by Carl Sandburg

Under the harvest moon,
When the soft silver
Drips shimmering
Over the garden nights,
Death, the grey mocker,
Comes and whispers to you
As a beautiful friend
Who remembers.

Under the summer roses
When the flagrant crimson
Lurks in the dusk
Of the wild red leaves,
Love, with little hands,
Comes and touches you
With a thousand memories,
And asks you
Beautiful, unanswerable questions.

3. the poem you want to read by Khatija Khan

today,
we will read a poem
on how to embrace summer
while winter is weeping on your palanquin

or say,
on how to make a half burnt cake 
taste yummier than a perfectly baked one
while the microwave is not working like it should

or say,
on how to paint sunken ships and earn from it,
make it to the bestsellers' line
as if death is worth more than life
while all the not rescued beings are screaming for help

or,
on how to turn wood into furniture
wool into sweater
and hearts into hurricanes

or, 
a poem about a girl made of glass
who lived in a steam house 
and did whatever the poet wrote

or simply turn the page
don't drink words
that fail to quench your thirst

if you are unable to find the poem you want to read
write the poem you want to read

---

Quotes

Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A.) said:

Worse is he who is a miser.

If there is a task and you think that you cannot successfully complete it, then don’t do it.

Superior is he who has the power to take revenge but forgives rather than taking revenge.

USJ poetry:

To fly like butterfly

you have to

have patience

like caterpillar.

---

Recommendations

1. Read about a village where you have to pay in order to enter!

2. 5 ways in which heat causes anxiety

3. Movie/series to watch - Ms Marvel, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (season 3), The Gray Man, Sonic the Hedgehog

---

Bulletin Board

1. Submit your poetry, photography, digital art, creative non-fiction and non-fiction to The Remnant Archive for their latest issue.

2. Annual Anthology of Short Fiction (2022): Call for Submissions (The Punch Magazine)

3. If you are looking for an internship, you can apply to Pledge A Smile (NGO)

---

So, that’s all I wanted to say today! I will now take your leave. Happy Reading!