Daily Times

I’m the song on your lips,
I will live even unsung

It takes time to live. Life and living beings seem to be the last frontier on Earth. We, humans are so blessed with words and languages. Recently I had a chance to read a fascinating book “In the Space of a Dream” written by Sadaf Raza, a rights activist and a researcher turned into a motivational speaker. She is currently running a forum for young men and women on challenging the social construction of women. She has published two collections of poetry books, “Like a sleepwalker” and “Write me in Red.” Her writings have been dubbed ‘as glimpses into the lives of Pakistani women’, and her work has been reviewed/apprised by renowned South Asian writers and critics. Honour killings, women rights, gender-based violence, female education and sexual abuse, these are only some of the hard-hitting realities of Pakistani women that Sadaf Raza highlights in her poetry. She is doing every bit to educate and motivate the Pakistanis regarding the harsh realities of most Pakistani women.

The writer used the tool of poetry for genuine critique, especially focusing on women rights. Highlighting women feelings the writer says (page 63):

I am now and will always be,
In His Image,
You pound away your failures,
Your frustration,
Your hatred of what you are,
You rape me………

She writes poems which delve deeply into personal issues while also exploring broad concerns common to all. This book is a bunch of multifarious and substantial poems covering the overall sketch of the Palestinian issue, depicting the true picture of Karachi and most extensively, regarding violence against women. Through her imaginary words, she wrote about the painful actuality of society and the way forward.

“In the Space of a Dream” is a beautifully designed book carrying almost 51 poems; through this one is well described in terms of words and expressions. It is a haunting explanation of reality, written in free verse using straightforward language, thoughts in writing probes and lofty philosophical questions such as truth versus reality.
I believe that every reader would be able to find himself or herself in at least one poem. That’s the beauty of this thought provoking book.

The writer used her language for her dreams

Let me dance (page 24)
On my velvet dreams
With red shoes stolen from the yellow road,
And stars plucked from a brooding night,
Let me dance.

Karachi or not to be Karachi (page 49)
Where life is a stray dog
Flea ridden
Shoved by a stick, a stone, or an angry glance,
And crows become the symbol
Of national unity…
Ever Scavenging…
Where mouths are full of callous expressions,
Chewed and spat out like beetle nut…

(Page 67)
Palestine is not a reality but a story.
Where myths and legends are born.
In dust and blood.

Out of all the poems, “Let me Dance”, “Karachi or not to be Karachi” and “You can’t undo her with your violence” were my favorites. Reading these poems over and over again gives a new meaning to them every time. However, within the book the writer tries to convey her message in short lines, which are an attempt to slow the reader down and make them think about what is not being said as well as what is. I personally believe that these poems will satisfy all the basics, but only if you deeply read and employ your intellect to understand the profound place the writer speaks from. Then you will reasonably be able to get a picture of this book.

I have lots of things to highlight but while concluding it, these words from the author make me feel out of the world: “When we write words we write a life, we write the good, the bad, the truth, and the untruth which determines our fate. We write the pain, the loss and the loneliness. We expose the hidden, and disguise the shame. We write dreams, illusions, and feed fantasies to ailing minds. We write laughter, which brings tears, and tears behind a smile. We exercise the past, which haunts, and the future with its uncertainties. So when we write –– we don’t write words, we write a life.”

Salman Ali is a social and political activist based in Lahore. He can be reached at salmanali088@gmail.com, and tweets at Salmani_salu

Published in Daily Times, November 14^th 2017.