Poetry: Mirza Sibtain Beg

Mirza Sibtain Beg

Mirza Sibtain Beg is Associate Professor at Shia P.G. College, Lucknow, an associate college of University of Lucknow, U. P. He is a poet, critic, reviewer and has written two books: Voices of verse, and Critical Essays on The Poetry of Jayanta Mahapatra.

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1. Evolution of Modern Woman
A woman is cherished pearl and boon to our civilization,
Nestled, nurtured and numinous as a sage in male bastion,
Since advent of Eve cuddled cynosure, rapped revelation,
Remained elusive, evasive to subservience and subjugation.
Shakespeare assuages accolades: calls salt of the earth,
Holy Scripture defines as a garment to man with worth,
She is a creator, comforter, congruous cohort by birth,
 With the roses of heaven whole life gardens the hearth.
She is the pillar of strength, and panorama of patience,
She endures pain without clatter, grumble and grievance,
Compassionate even to enemy, a torch showing resilience,
Endured atrocities meted out to her by paternal resurgence.
Wollstone Craft fights for their rights and education equity,
 De Beavour supports to their freedom to thwart masculinity,
Julia Kristeva magnetizes maternity, reproaches subjectivity,
 Rabid to denigrate who calls them weak, immoral with impunity.
By educating woman, we will enable next generations educated,
By pampering and pandering her, lineage will get exacerbated,
Giving her time and space to flourish, values will get inculcated,
Confining her amid four walls will sour her potential decimated.
Since time immemorial she’s subject to torcher and disdain,
Endured all segregation, despise, disparage sans complain,
Performed all household chores being pregnant or in pain,
Remained submissive whole life to patriarchy with sprain.

Gone are the days when put to harassment lying dumb,
Now has opportunities to education and carrier aplomb, 
They excelled in every stream, flew planes, left no crumb,
Recognised her worth, potential not destined to gather tomb.
Stood stoically to help women in cities and rural vicinity,
Medicos turned trouble-shooter to extend aid with dignity,
Raises voice against atrocities on them meted by patriarchy,
Evolved into a modish woman, not to die in name of witchery.
Time is ripe to devitalize gender stereotype and their attitude,
Male world is a slippery slope where to control with rectitude,
By spurring her hidden abilities will incur whiff of beatitude,
 Aware her with feminist values, empowerment and turpitude.
The evolution of modern woman will prove a revolution,
World is looking upon her with adulation and expectation,
Will shine in full as a strong woman with high resolution,
Not to be thwarted by gnawing gaze in maze of perfection.
Modern woman is a glory glistened on the cusp of creation,
Equipped with love, pity, empathy, care with approbation,
Excelled in roles: daughter, wife, sister, and mother’s action,
 Exulted epitome of endurance, balm of all with compassion.
Her happiness, harmonious existence will serenade ecology,
She will be the buttress of generations’ fortitude with prodigy,
Will splash vibrant colours, petals of compassion with strategy,
Good fostering will herald prosperity, burn tormentor’s effigy.
Hope, world will give you the respect that you deserve,
Embryos will not be abandoned, nor be buried with purr,
Find the roads to walk on in day, night sans fear and slur,
You will be treated as an elf: docile, debonair and demure.
***

2. Flowers
Flowers are nature’s nap to soothe us with,
Its fragrance, freshness spellbind us blithe,
Of varied, vibrant colours and hues to slithe,
Evolve an enchanting ambience, not to writhe.
Flowers are harbinger of love, bloom so succulent,
Roses, tulips, lavenders, lilies, lilacs so truculent,
Symbolise to live avid amid thorns with penchant,
Exhorting to be calm, cool in worries as valiant.
They represent unity in diversity, objectify beauty,
They teach to live selflessly with pride and piety,
Extending love, affection, joy and festooning deity,
Each can be transfigured as source of serenity.
Buck up when breeze wades through the foliage,
Spruce up the beauty of bride in glare of marriage,
Dewlapped petals dissipate moonshine with edge,
Symbolising mystery spur to attain zenith with pledge.
They carry our best wishes, love, care to concerned person,
Decrying to spew venom, exhort manacles to sing in unison,
Buds blossom and beacon glows to ensconce docility to stun,
Peace is the panacea of every turmoil, they exude this to stun,
Flowers show God’s presence, petals seem divine,
Flowers of variegated hues draw angels with shine,
Sky is starlit, golden beam of sunrays rise to decline,
The buoyant bees buzz, their humming harmonise beeline.

Flowers transcends tenaciously beauty of the world,
A flower shines with sunshine to beautify the world,
Flowers make people healthy, happier and swirled,
They blow happiness that is to be shared and curled.
Don’t crush them, may be they are in God’s worship,
Don’t pluck as they are bedrock of human relationship,
Placate, not victimise them as they symbolise hardship,
Foster them, not fester with woes as they flare tactile tip.
***

3. Firefly
Firefly radiates light amid darkness,
Burns but brims the world with brightness.
Firefly is a nocturnal insect but more human,
Exhorts us to live for others, and be beacon.
It gives delight to innocent playful children,
They play with it, find a feisty friend to reckon.
It exudes hope, aspiration amid chaos:
Failures undulate success with gloss.
It is not proper to compare its glitter with stars’,
Imbibes the same spirit to heal hurts and scars.
It etches out a very transient and tangent life,
Leaves indelible impression to vanquish strife.
O firefly! I salute you and your creator,
Living a life full of meaning with candour.
***

4. Life’s Journey
Treading silently in the afternoon of my life,
A vagrant traveller moving on life’s journey,
Sanguine shadow eclipsing with melody of fife,
A solitary shade without winsome acme.
Life has taught to give and not to receive,
Help the needy, empathy for weak with smiles,
Haunts like a passion pamper not to deceive,
A light pole goads the right path to go miles.
Firm not to be pale with vagaries of fortunes,
To live for the others, and die like a valiant,
Using the fleeting time with vibrant hues,
Be a friend to the bereaved, and be self-reliant.
Life runs smoothly with its swift chariot,
Full of verve, proud to be a prim patriot.
***

5. Covid-19
The world is reeling under pain and fear,
The chimeral covid-19 thwarted us to tear.
Deadliest virus pressed the panic button,
From Wuhan to Tehran turned virulent to glutton,
The ferocious viral genome sent tremors,
Across Europe, America, Asia all in fetters.
God knows whether it is natural adaption of mutation,
Or the brainchild of dragon unleash brutal mutilation.
Devoured human life irrespective caste, colour and religion,
Hear the death knell yelling at everywhere and every region.
Every human activity derailed, came to a grinding halt,
Economy in tatters, life is in jeopardy for our no fault. 
Precarious progression from epidemic to pandemic,
The virulent virus scariest of all is death rhythmic.
It has marred the mores and mien of social fabric,
Communities in tandem threatened feeling erratic.
All the social hustle bustle seems to be diminished,
Restaurants, malls, institutions, clubs look blemished.
Physical aloofness, boosting immunity is the malady,
Patience, fortitude, resilience will permeate melody.
 Diamond prisms of love radiates ray of hope for humanity,
Feisty flashes of spring will supersede winter’s sterility…
***

Setu, May 2020