Tag Archives: poetry

a collection

conquest

letting you in

was what made breaking so easy

trojan were your claims

yet i say come, i say-

maim

trash

i hope you find love

in used cigarettes

in embers that lit

and never digressed

in candy wrappers

rubbed with cocaine

and crushed pop cans

that all sing

my name

manic

your names tattooed onto my heart

and even if i rip it free

i’ll etch it onto swollen skin

and stitch it back with a safety pin

experience

surround my heart with spears and thorns

it changes shape

adjusts its form

stab right through

and i won’t feel

i am modeling clay

to your preemptive

zeal

sidewalk flower

i’d eat concrete if it made me metal

grind up pavement between teeth

ensuring its density

so i can feel the wear

on my molars

create rubble from slabs

those freshly laid

and fully set

a bloodied mouth

and slit gums

i’d eat concrete if it made me metal enough

to forget the sidewalks i walked

with you

– ammarah siddiqui

The post a collection appeared first on ammarah.

four walls

one day

we’ll have an apartment.

 

i’d pick out too many cushions

and want mirrors on every wall

you’d pretend to be bothered

but wouldn’t mind at all

 

we’d hold up paint chips

at Benjamin’s

like movie couples do

and i would re-realize

how much i love

blue

 

we’d squeege windows

and mop paint off floors

i’d smear a drop across your cheek

and you’d seek redemption

in another hue

 

i’d bet i could build a couch

and end up with a chair

because when it came to mistakes

you wouldn’t care

 

we’d karoake in the kitchen

and close cabinets for a beat

put mixed berries in pancakes

spill the syrup

and complain they’re too sweet

 

you’d rearrange my mixing bowls

and i’d eat your special snacks

we’d watch the same amount ahead

of the episode we paused at

 

one day

we’ll have an apartment

 

and i will never love

any four walls

or any one person

more.

The post four walls appeared first on ammarah.

window – chatgpt

This poem was written by ChatGPT with the provided prompt:
"Write a poem about a window"

A window, a portal to another world

A gateway to beauty, yet to unfold

It frames a picture, a moment in time

A place to sit, and watch life unwind

 

The glass is cold, to the touch

But it warms with the sun’s gentle clutch

A reflection of all that surrounds

The skies, the trees, the sights and sounds

 

Through the window, we see a view

A world that is both old and new

The hustle and bustle of daily life

Or the peaceful calmness of the night

 

In the morning, the light streams in

As a new day is about to begin

And in the evening, it casts a glow

As the world outside starts to slow

 

A window is a lens to the soul

A glimpse of life, beyond our control

It reminds us of what’s outside our door

And inspires us to explore even more

 

So open the window, let in the air

Feel the breeze, let down your hair

For a window is more than just a pane

It’s a reminder of life’s beauty, once again.

This poem was written by ChatGPT with the provided prompt:
"Write a poem about a window that doesn't rhyme"
A window stands before my eyes
Its pane of glass a clear disguise
For on the other side I see
A world that’s waiting just for me

Through it comes the light of day

And nighttime shadows dance and play

It shows me rain and summer sun

And all the beauty yet undone

 

Sometimes I’ll stand and watch awhile

At people passing with a smile

Or gaze into the starry night

And feel as though I’m taking flight

 

But though it seems just like a screen

This window is more than it seems

For in it I can see a dream

And all the hope that it can bring

 

So though it doesn’t rhyme or sing

This window is a wondrous thing

A gateway to the world beyond

And all the stories yet unwritten and untold.

The post window – chatgpt appeared first on ammarah.

Lost in Translation

This is a poem I wrote a couple of months ago when I was really really struggling. It is inspired by all my struggles in Canada after I moved here, I felt like I was lost in translation. I was trying to have hope as I was crumbling to pieces. I did not have my diagnosis or my meds yet and I was drowning. But I was still trying.

I hope you like it

Poem by Sara Aristizabal C.

It’s Fine

I wish I knew before

I wish someone had told me

At least now

I’m here to help myself 

It hurts to hit rock bottom 

It hurts when no one is there

It hurts to see failure standing there

Standing there with a vicious grin

I can’t express enough

How much it hurts to be tormented 

Tormented by what could be 

It hurts when they say it’ll be fine

When it won’t 

It can’t be fine if I’m not fine

It hurts to live with this guilt 

That you’re doing something wrong 

Maybe I am doing something wrong 

No

I’m definitely doing something wrong

I’m absolutely doing something wrong

But I can’t help it

I needed someone to tell me

I needed someone to be there

When I was screaming my silent screams

But now I’m fine

They were right 

It’s fine

Everything is fine

All is fine in their eyes 

But they don’t see what’s in the dark

They don’t see what’s happening 

They don’t know what’s going on

Don’t worry I’ve learned

I’ve learned that I must be fine

If all around me is fine

Then I am fine

Absolutely fine

Broken

Creation and destruction are one,

And they can never be undone.

They both show a feeling of the unknown,

Which just wants to be shown.

The unknown, the untold, the undefined are what separate them from the inside,

They long to see the day that they will be side by side.

Unfortunately, they must stay apart,

Or the whole world will restart.

Creation and destruction had to be divided,

Because the undecided held many mysteries to make sure they never collided.

Until this day they stay so far away, 

Due to the secrets that the truth would not say.

Nothing

No time

No value

No memories 

Nothing

Nothing remains and you have

You have nothing to give, hold, or cherish

Nothing to love or hate

And you can’t but help wonder why

When nothing is going right

But nothing is going wrong

And you just sitting in the void

Wondering why

Locked doors and closed windows

Just silence

With nothing left

No point in going forward if there is only silence

What can you do with nothing

You can do nothing

Just sit

Sit in silence

The Oldest

Responsible, smart, kind, and caring

The recipe for perfection

But the secret ingredient cannot be forgotten

Indecision

Reliable

Respectful

Rightfully ignored

Talented

Tolerant

Torn

Divided by sides

Divided by lives

Divided by everyone

Divided but meant to carry on

The show must go on

It cannot rest

They are supposed to perform 

They must do their best

Face the world with a smile

Don’t show worry

Don’t show fear

Don’t show indecision 

Where there is no indecision 

There is no doubt

No fear

And nothing to worry about

“I’m here for you”

Read Time:1 Minute, 4 Second

“Im here for you” is a poem I wrote a while back when I was having a bad day, and a friend reached out to me to check up on me. It made me think about how there are some people in your life that will sit through the storms with you. And while sometimes it’s hard to reach out when you are struggling, I promise you that there is always someone out there who cares for you and who is willing to listen to your concerns.

After a heavy night
The bags under your eyes
Want to be popped
The weight of the blanket seems impossible to take off.

You’re stuck again
Until eventually you get out of bed
And you stop
you get up to nourish yourself
But your body throbs

You change
wash up
Put your earbuds in
To silence the noises from outside to within
Somethings not right
When will it end

You keep skipping songs.
Until suddenly
You hear lyrics
That encompass your existence
That listen to you and become your assistants

Next thing you know
You get a notification on your phone
From someone you’ve known

They say hello
And things start to look brighter
Things start to unfold

You’ve wanted to distance yourself.
Until you realize their tone
Of wanting to soothe you
And it goes

“I’m here for you through the highs and the lows.” -nimra

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The post “I’m here for you” first appeared on NimrasCanvas.

Ramadan Reflections

Read Time:2 Minute, 46 Second

Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic lunar calendar and is celebrated by over 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide. This month, Muslims worldwide fast (abstain from food or water) from dawn to dust for 30 days. However, we don’t only abstain from food or water, and we obtain from gossiping, sex, bad habits, and more. Muslims are encouraged to give charity, volunteer, and give back to the community. Ramadan is a month of purification and inner healing, and it is when we discipline ourselves and let go of our lower desires to strive to be our best selves.

This Ramadan, I wrote a poem about my thoughts on my first day of fasting for the month. I first talk about hunger. When we are hungry, it is natural to feel lethargic and of low energy, but surprisingly enough, it makes me aware of everything, I can focus on my schoolwork, and I am in tune with all my emotions. While fasting can be overwhelming and exhausting sometimes, there’s a hidden peace behind the process of it.

Ramadan Reflections: 04-03-22

There’s a stillness in hunger which I cannot explain.

My body moves slowly,

but I am in touch with everything.

I pick up the pieces of my soul again.

I maneuver with a type of grace I no longer need to pretend.

I can trace my sins and turn back to You,

knowing that one day,

I will come back to You.

there’s a stillness in hunger which I cannot explain,

but what I do know is only You can take away my pain – @nimras.canvas

The last two stanzas discuss my thoughts about God and myself. The first line of “…trace my sins and turn back to You” portrays me thinking of all my bad habits and trying to build new ones so I can turn back to God. The “You” refers to God, and “I will come back to You” refers to my thoughts on death and how I believe that I will go back to God at the end of my lifetime.

The last line in the last stanza of my poem signifies the rawness of Ramadan. As I stated before, Ramadan makes me in tune with all my emotions, including the painful ones. The last line reminds me that only God can take away my pain.

Many Muslims have different experiences in Ramadan because the month is challenging physically, mentally, and spiritually. However, the community is the strongest during Ramadan because many of us are fasting simultaneously and have a shared unity to relate to. Here is a video of a crowd of Muslims praying in NYC before breaking their fast (having iftar/dinner).

Khaled comments, “This video of Muslims praying in NYC is triggering a lot of rage. So… here it is again”. I think the video triggered rage because Islamophobia still exists, and hate crimes against Muslims are still relevant in today’s society. As a visibly Muslim woman and POC, I have experienced some hateful comments and micro-aggressions, and it is hurtful to see people be so cruel. However, it doesn’t stop Muslims from showing up and practicing our peaceful religion, and I hope more people can see its beauty.

References

https://www.statista.com/topics/3796/ramadan-2017/

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The post Ramadan Reflections first appeared on NimrasCanvas.

VALID

Read Time:1 Minute, 7 Second

Today, I was sitting in class thinking about how everyone I interact with is feeling behind, overwhelmed, or out of place. We collectively go through hidden struggles, yet our stories are not being shared. Our stories are being suppressed as students because we are all working to have a paper with our name on it. This waiting game of seeing if we are ‘educated enough’ to talk about our area of expertise translates to feelings of unworthiness. Another reason our true stories are hidden is because we are so busy calculating the next best thing that we forget to live in the moment and be human.

The first stanza in my poem VALID portrays the reminder that “your story is valid without a degree, or credentials, or empirical evidence.”

We often forget that we are more than our labels.

School is only one example of how we may not feel like our experiences are valid. However, there are many more ways people may not feel worthy of their life stories. However I believe that people should not be shut out of conversations because they dont have the type of education Western society expects them to. Going to school or not, going to work or not, living at home or not, your experiences are yours, and no one can take that away from you.

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The post VALID first appeared on NimrasCanvas.

MORE THAN A DAY

Read Time:1 Minute, 20 Second

In honor of International Women’s Day, I wrote poetry inspired by one of my favorite poems called “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou.

I first heard of Maya Angelou in my grade 10 English class when I started taking writing poetry more seriously. In Angelou’s beautiful poem, she uses the phrase “phenomenally, phenomenal women” and describes women being unapologetically themselves.

However, in my poem “MORE THAN A DAY,” I describe my feelings about International Women’s Day and how women deserve to be celebrated on more than just a day.

MORE THAN A DAY

Today is a day to celebrate phenomenal women.

But I know deep down the struggles we face.

__________________________________________________

The pain and exhaustion linger beyond trace.

The physical, emotional, and spiritual labor

From raising families out of nothing

From facing undiagnosed illnesses

From living up to male standards

From putting our needs on hold

__________________________________________________

To all my phenomenal women.

I know you are tired.

But I know you are the brightest in the room.

I know you are more than just your beautiful body.

I know you are more than what any of these fools make of you.

So I understand how today is a day to celebrate ourselves because we deserve an uproar.

We deserve a parade, an anthem, a standing ovation.

__________________________________________________

But why did we have to prove ourselves to celebrate?

Why isn’t our mere existence a celebration?

__________________________________________________

So to all my phenomenally, phenomenal women.

Who the world watches in awe today.

Remember that you are more than a single day.

You are a lifetime.

You’ll never fade away. -@nimras.canvas

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