Category Archives: English Poetry

Discriminate not!

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Why can’t you see
What I can be?
Why let your eyes
Dishonor me?

Don’t let my skin
Dictate my fate
My ugliness
Turn into hate

My accent may
Not be as good
I may not speak
The way I should

Your red passport
May reign supreme
My dark green book
In low esteem

In looks alone
We may not match
But hold that thought
There is a catch

Come close to me
And hear my heart
Could beats alone
Tell us apart?

The pain we feel
When love is lost
Discriminates?
No, it does not!

When fires burn
And ashes blow
The pungent smell
Don’t we well know?

The anguished wails
Of orphaned kids
You hear them too
With wet eyelids

When you bite on
Your tongue in haste
Do you not sense
The metal taste?

So why do you
Build up this wall
Why then, my friend
Make me feel small

Just look beyond
My darkened skin
And see the light
That shines within

When all is done
We are the same
There is no guilt
There is no shame

My nights like yours
Are filled with dreams
Of catching stars
And chasing streams

With this new thought
Let go, be free
And see me for
What I can be!

– Yousuf Bawany, Feb 2022

This is the end

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Neither subtle nor vague
Fanning out like a plague
An unflinching outbreak
Wrecking all in its wake

There is nowhere to hide
There is no alternate
All I can do is wait
Till you come seal my fate

Time just loses its worth
Limb to toe, I but ache
Life seems fleeting at best
War is lost, I forsake

As I breathe in your scent
Let you contaminate
Feel you course through my veins
Break my core, make me shake

Inhibitions all shed
In the throes of a quake
Basic instincts ruling
Let chaos overtake

I forget who I am
In your cold harsh embrace
And I finally give in
To the thrill of the chase

– Yousuf Bawany

Obsessive Confessions

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sunset hands love woman

Since the sun makes its impression
Till the starry sky’s succession
You’re my number one obsession
There you have it, my confession

When you are the point in question
I lose all sense of direction
You’re my deed and my intention
Hope you’ll pardon my regression

Learn to cut out all detraction
Try and read through this redaction
Oh, the core of my affection
You’re my only plan of action

All the world is a distraction
It’s at odds with our attraction
You’re my freedom of expression
Rest is naught but an abstraction

Bound by fate, we are a faction
We won’t ever be a fraction
No addition or subtraction
What we have is pure perfection

– Yousuf Bawany, November 2018

* Photo by Stokpic on Pexels.com

MUST. BE. ME.

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Unknown, I to thee
Unheard, every plea
Two ends of the sea
Too weak in the knee
What’s me if not me?
What else should I be?
I’m done being ‘we’
The past, I must flee
A tear laced with glee
My soul shall stay free

~ Yousuf Bawany, April ’18

Note: Life’s too precious to waste on individuals who drag you down and treat you as if you’re worth nothing. Now is the time to break free from their shackles, spread your wings, and embrace life in all its glory.

Books vs eBooks: A Literary Debate

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Lined up in rows upon the shelf
With tales as old as time itself
Of battles lost and monsters slain
And wizards fighting with an elf

That heady scent of volumes bound
Lingers within the air around
Augments my soul with every breath
Such sense of calm is rarely found

Eager to tour the worlds within
A sea of words to dive right in
With fingers running down her spine
I take one with a childish grin

Our first contact shakes up the air
I’m sure you sense the love we share
Our chemistry is physical
Something no other can compare

All this smart tech is really cool
Exciting us, it makes us drool
But when it comes to books, my friend
My preference is a bit old-school

The peace of paper I enjoy
As I read through the villain’s ploy
These taps and swipes feel virtual
These shiny toys are slyly cloy

Owning the latest is a dream
Distractions are a constant theme
Connections disconnecting us
A side-effect, unwitting scheme

My every wish, these books do serve
My full attention they deserve
Respect the author’s diligence
Nothing should let my focus swerve

A friend in need, a book stays true
No batteries to die on you
It’s always there within your reach
To partner with your favourite brew

~ Yousuf Bawany – March 2018 ~