Poem For A Poem

She asks me What is a poem? Her shapely nose, Her lips like two slices of water melon, Her eyes reflecting clear blue sky, Her thick hair like dark grey clouds, Her horizon-like forehead Are poems. Frolicking of children, Gossiping old women, Cheering buddies gathered to spend an evening together, Waiting travellers with carry-on bags in hand, Strolling couples in a park, picnickers, Are all features of a poem. Lively sunlight warming the sanitorium stairs, A nude poster, A gypsy girl, Are poems. Ramble through a wonderland, Laughter at an amusement park, Still blue lake, Scream of herons slipping on the rocks, Thunder of a water fall, Symphony of four seasons, Song of pure rains, Silent hunch of rainbow, arching over all, Are poems. Children of Bosnia All are words of a poem. Prior to gang rape Women were preambles to poems, Now they are complete poems. Suppressed scream of a prisoner In torture chamber Is also a poem. The blood ablaze In the snow clad valley of Kashmir Is fast becoming a poem. Death of the starving in Somalia is a poem. Coffin of the peace keeping soldier Is a real-life poem. She asks me, what is a poem? Shall I tell her That her poem inscribing fingers are too a poem And her handwriting, Her handsome portrait, Her brown sandal Even destiny under her feet Are a poem. She knows! She is a poem to me clad in mauve. Still she asks me What is a poem? (1992, Translated from Urdu by Samina Amjad, Translation reviewed by Lillian Thomas)