Romanticised by writers and artists over time, freedom has been variously interpreted. There is the freedom of birds that fly, of the clouds that float across the connecting blue skies, of the grass that grows across manmade borders, of the blood that flows to protect the liberty of confines or constructs drawn by man, the river that gurgles into the ocean, of the breeze that blows.
The many-splendored interpretations of freedom and its antitheses in Borderless journal are presented here for you to ponder … tell us what you think. Can freedom come without responsibility or a tryst with circumstances?
Exploring the freedom from bondages of education social norms and more, this story has been translated by Radha Chakravarty from Bengali. Clickhere to read.
From the conflict ridden state of Kashmir, RayeesAhmed writes of hope and restoration of peace. He translates his own poem, Ab tak Toofan, from Urdu to English.
Neither this torrential rain has the will to stop
Nor the monsoon sky has the will to light up this darkness!
.
God only knows what happened to the skies,
That breaks and explodes on us!
Maybe the sky is bleeding and wailing in agony,
As the Earth is clutched by the claws of oppression
.
Is this the end?
Perhaps there may be another tempest broiling.
Yes, I could see this droplet of rain encapsulating the Psalms of freedom
Neither does this rain want to stop.
Nor the sky light up to burn this darkness.
.
This will not stop!
How on Earth will this mayhem stop?
When innocents were killed and buried under mountains,
And the grass blanketed the pain and cries choked inside the soil
The Earth was bloodied with murder and arson!
From that wetness of blood bloom new voices.
Voices of wisdom and humanity will resonate freedom,
new slogans of humanness will echo through the mountains.
.
Yes the mother Earth nurtures us with her milky dews,
The trees wait to witness the secret moves
Of a whirlwind that brawls faraway!
The time will stop when doomsday arrives,
Yes I know this rain will bring back a Hurricane…
.
The thunderous clouds looming over with war-cry!
Yes this thwarting rain is bringing back the storm
And will wash away the pain and bloodshed,
uncover, and unveiling the nameless tombs and free the souls.
.
Yes, these Dark clouds will clear up for a new Dawn
Yes, this New sky of Freedom will prevail Peace
the new sky will bring warmth of Hope and Life.
.
Rayees Ahmad is a budding writer and poet from Kashmir. He has bachelor’s in mass communication and masters in Peace and Conflict Studies. He hopes to add a new colour to Kashmir and the conflict it faces through his poetry. He has written many poems and articles on the Kashmiri diaspora.
.
PLEASE NOTE: ARTICLES CAN ONLY BE REPRODUCED IN OTHER SITES WITH DUE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BORDERLESS JOURNAL.
I looked at the darkness that slowly grew around me
.
Spring suffocated in the gardens.
Flowers died on branches on their own
As the unborn died in the womb of a dead mother.
Faraway a little bird fluttered in pain and agony…
.
I sadly captured the hues of autumn…
.
The wild wind blew away a heap of dried leaves
And dust swept away dreams of daffodils,
Withering the petals to be embraced by winter.
Naked branches helplessly stretched out their longings towards the sky
.
I sat alone looking at the turbulent future in time
.
The river saturated into white snowy silence…
And the lonely boat half drowns into that cold aloofness.
Like the half- widows — half-dead, and half-alive
Suspended in life with a trickle of hope and deathly grief
.
I sat down on the horizon and looked at the sky.
.
It seems the Earth was angry with the sky
Just as the moon was angry with the sun and the stars.
Maybe Nature itself is slowly coming to a halt
Oh God, are you also in pain and despair?
.
The countries busily build walls of hatred and tyranny
While little Alan slept endlessly on the shores of the great sea
The angels are whimpering and awakening their dead ones
Remember that no amount of candies can wash away their pain
.
I’m still walking through the rubble of the city of hatred —
.
Here every soul is thirsty and everybody is hurt in the mayhem.
Here everyone seems to be oppressed and enslaved.
Here everyone seems to be lonely, the rich and the poor.
Here everyone seems to be strangely normal and silently crying…
.
I searched like a wailing morning breeze of the mountains.
.
Today I know the pitcher of love is broken and dried
Today I am standing here and waiting for you my Prophet!
Bring us the magical verses that will melt our stoned heart.
Sing for us the song of sparrows, the songs of love and peace.
.
Sing for us the song of life, song of your eternal gardens……
.
Warrior Of Light: A Tribute To My Mother
Mother, Oh mother, you are my guardian angel, epitome of love.
All mothers are precious to their children, she’s the goddess of life
And my mother is my everything , she’s is the light of my eyes
Without her I will not exist, without her I will not sustain
My mother is the most courageous woman of our valley
She’s is the most ferocious , most beautiful angel of this paradise
Like the torrential waters of Jhelum, she went beyond the mountains and valley for truth
She’s is not afraid of anything or anyone when it comes to protect her children
Come soon mother the home is desolated in your absence
Reminiscence of your caring persona , your touch , your smell ,
Again and again resonating the sense of loss and sense of vacuum
Now we are the orphaned lambs of the meadows lost without our shepherd
When will you be back mom , Eid is here Muharram is gone
Years are passing in gloom without you in our life
Our screams are suppressed our pain is been ignored and forgotten
Our prayers, our shrines are vandalised by pellets and bullets
But your voice echoed in us , your shadow loomed around us
Your infinite love and compassion for humanity is our strength mother
You keep the promises of tomorrow , fighting injustice alone in the dark cell
Your persistence your determination is the vast silent Himalayas
Tall as the heavenly seraph slayer of evil, hold us in your encompassing wings
Mother you are my rock, you are my sword and shield
Mother come for once, make me sleep inside your warm “Phiren”
Make me sleep next to your heart, the pot of red embers.
.
Rayees Ahmad is a budding writer and poet from Kashmir. He has bachelor’s in mass communication and masters in Peace and Conflict Studies. He hopes to add a new colour to Kashmir and the conflict it faces through his poetry. He has written many poems and articles on the Kashmiri diaspora.
PLEASE NOTE: ARTICLES CAN ONLY BE REPRODUCED IN OTHER SITES WITH DUE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BORDERLESS JOURNAL.
Borderless 