Young Voices: Anika Shaheed

Anika Shaheed

1) CAP'N OF MY OWN SHIP

Break me, Crush me

I will not bow down

I will keep the sail up

The cap’n of my own ship

You can’t break me like a clip

The storms maybe strong

But I am even stronger

The sea maybe harsh

But I am even harsher

The sun may shine bright

But I will shine even brighter

Looking for my treasure

I will do it with pleasure

I will navigate my own path

I will circumnavigate the earth

I will steer my own Ship

And I don’t need any other equip

I see you are flipping

But do I seem to be caring?

Travel along the gravel

My unravel path

Will become clear

Someday, today

I don’t know when

But I am the cap’n of my own ship.

***

2) THE PAINTING IN BLACK AND WHITE

Taxi I yelled

“take me to the art museum please”

“that’ll be 50 cents” replied the chauffer

Finally I reached

Entering the hallway

Every painting seemed to preach

Something away

One painting seemed to caught my eye

Maybe it was a distant ally

It was all black and white

No color in its presence

Being stonic admiring the painting

All I felt was something in me

Maybe a distant memory

Darkness, no color

Sadness, no life

It seemed to be making me feel something

Can emotion I couldn’t comprehend

“excuse me miss.we are closing.”

“ah yes sorry for being so lost in the painting.”

Quitely I walked down the street

My emotions seemed to cause a reek

The painting in black and white

***

3) ODE FROM A PRIMROSE TO IT’S NURTURER

Everyday we wish to thank you

For being the blissfull you

With words of wisdom

You make us blossom

Into youthful primroses

Staying in afterglow

With the memories formed

Feeling warmed

If it weren’t for you

We could have never bloomed

Into the primroses

You have nurtured

You have altered, shaped

Us into tomorrow’s better youth

To all of our problems

You answered

For all of our battles

You armoured us

We view you with gratitude

For never quiting on us

Thus we dedicate this ode to you.

***

4) MY SOUL AS BLACK AS COAL

The stars glitter

Make me question?

Am I a quitter?

The affliction

I undertook

Left me in a shook.

Tears keep falling by

I seem to yell out a cry

Choices hypnotizes

Feelings comprises

Pain, shame

Darkness, tiredness

Weariness, sadness

Emotions that define my soul

My soul as black as coal

***

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Anika Shaheed is a fourteen year old budding writer. A 1Xth standard student of St Mary's English High School, Guwahati, she started penning her thoughts at a very young age. Anika wrote her first poem "my best friend" when she was in the first standard. Her poems and short stories have received much appreciation from her teachers and school. She has been awarded and honoured many times for her compositions in School. Besides composing poems Anika likes to make fan edits, listening to Kpop and also is a wattpad author.

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Setu, October 2020