Emotions are best described when they are written from the heart. Human feelings, however, are channelled best in the form of poetry. Sijdah Hussain, a content marketer based in Lahore, shares her thoughts in her book, “Red Sugar, No More.” The book is a collection of prose and poetry that reflects her thought process. The book’s narrative stems from her personal experiences and because of her inquisitiveness about life and emotions.
Her words pierce through the heart and send the readers into introspection. She shares the truth, asks about the reality as the book takes the readers through a story about friendship, anger, regret, love, and relationships. Furthermore, there are moments while reading the book that lets the readers sink into the thoughts Sijdah expresses. For instance, in the opening pages she writes, “Sometimes-/you & I just don’t exist/and that’s alright!”
She talks about relationships in a profound way. Through prose she writes, “Like the roots stay forever with trees, help them grow and make them strong, will you stay with me just a bit long(er)?” While talking about relationships, she discusses how the longing of a person can overcome one’s thoughts. She writes another prose that says, “You can get addicted to a living being too, a beautiful feeling – dangerous but beautiful.” Sijdah Hussain’s ability to translate words into emotions remains a highlight of her book. There is sheer anger in some pieces of poetry while there is visible hope in some parts of the book. She shares her happy thoughts of being with someone while at some parts she has a longing to be on her own. When wondering about how a relationship might work, she writes, “This thing between you and I might just be worth a try.” In an untitled poem, she talks about the struggles of life and its effects. She writes, “Vain and pain struggle together/Making me open my eyes, as I stay frozen/Frozen for minutes, seconds or hours-/I know not/For the heart just tries to be a bit brazen.”
Sijdah has used an innovative way to format her poems. Instead of the usual vertical format, she writes her stanzas making the shape of a triangle or a zigzag pattern. While her expression is decent and communicative, the format at times takes the focus off the content, as the reader needs to concentrate on how to go about reading the poetry. Nevertheless, Sijdah’s style is strong that keeps the readers’ attention on the prose and poetry. It is interesting to note how people – millennials and those in their early thirties – are emerging as poets. It is perhaps the social consciousness that is changing. Curiosity could have possibly brought this change. Poets are those gifted people who question their lives, their surroundings, and their society. They ponder on what happened, what is happening, and what could transpire. Sijdah is one such poet who questions her past and remains curious about what could happen. This prediction envelops her life, relationships, and the society she lives in. Through her poetry, Sijdah explains to the readers her ability to look at hope when the world around her is dark and grey. She keeps holding on to that miracle called faith when depression, anger, and sadness surround her existence. Sijdah must have felt all these feelings and emotions from the core that she was able to write about them. Going through such experiences is one thing. However, penning them down compels poets to tread through the same memories they are running from. It is all about showing courage and knowing how to face and overcome such emotions. In one poem she writes, “This is the part of anguish grey/curtains blue and wallpapers yellow/this is the part where I learn/to lose you and try to gain me back/this is a part where the end is/my start!”
The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. He can be reached at [email protected] and Tweets @omariftikhar