یمان، اتحاد، نظم
Faith, Unity, Discipline
Inspired by “I am” and “I am from” poems which can be found here
Faith
I am from a nation where Islam’s virtues are presented, not pictured. A nation that thanks its creator for each drop of rain and each breeze of wind.
I am from a nation where the youth are raised to respect their elders and forgive the young. A nation where similarities always outweigh differences.
I am from a nation where prayer beads are constantly finding their way around fingers in the remembrance of the 99 names of The Eternal Lord.
Unity
Pakistan is the nation home to the luscious land where rivers rush from family to family, connecting each corner of the country like the twisted, curved, sweet Jalebis in the bazaar.
Pakistan is the nation that opens its arms to anyone and everyone desiring a sense of welcoming and hospitality. It is the nation home to 1.5 million refugees, the 3rd most in the world.
Pakistan is a nation birthed by courage, strength, and unity.
Discipline
I am from a land where the call to prayer echoes and bounces between the walls of tight-knit houses and jam-packed stores, halting all business and leading the listeners towards success.
I am from a land where the menacing mountains stand tall like the men in the mosques, shoulder to shoulder, lacking not in strength, nor in discipline.
I am from a land where the anthem is held high and acted upon sincerely. A nation where “The flag of the crescent and star leads the way to progress and perfection…”
Clarifications:
- There is a clear repetition of the number three in this poem and you may be questioning as to why this is. Firstly, there are three words in Pakistan’s COA/motto, this is the most obvious reason. Because of this, there are three stanzas that revolve around the three principles. Additionally, there are also small points such as Pakistan being millions of refugees, the third-most in the world. Also, there are three syllables in the name Pakistan, so this was a little sneaky addition. Lastly, many Sunnahs (things that our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did, were done in threes such as the zikr/remembrance of God. As a result, I also slid in the third name from the ninety-nine names of Allah which countless Muslims around the world recognize.
- “…leading the listeners towards success…” This line, if you didn’t know, is a reference to the Islamic call to prayer (Adhan) which literally calls the listeners or audience to prayer which is mentioned as success.
- The last line of the last stanza is italicized because it is a translated portion of the Pakistani anthem.
- Faith and discipline are central themes to this poem. The inspiration for it comes not only from Pakistan’s COA/motto but also from my previous blog post, blog #1, I believe, where I discuss personal experiences I’ve had with faith and discipline and how they’ve shaped the person I am.
- If you would like to read more about the origin of this motto, you can click on this link.
Bibliography:
- https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/most-beautiful-mosques-pakistan/
- https://nation.com.pk/28-Mar-2016/unity-faith-and-discipline
- https://twitter.com/pakistaninpics/status/1053087537550503937
Dear Unas,
This is such a beautiful piece. I love how you have created mini poems which reflect your culture and your values; opening up and crafting a piece about your homeland. I also like how you have tied this final blog and your first blog together as it gives our time in Grade 12 an opening and a closing, reinforcing the unity of your work.
As for improvement, I cannot seem to note anything of significance which affects the ideas in your piece. More visuals and general organization would help with the aesthetic of the blog overall.
All in all, this is a great piece. I have read your previous pieces and I still am blown away from the quality of the work you publish; it speaks to me and my emotions which is so hard to do solely with a bunch of text. You have great writing abilities and I hope those abilities serve as an asset in any of your future endeavors.
Kind regards,
Aryan
Dear Wande,
Firstly, thanks for taking the time to read this, I appreciate it. Secondly, I’ll definitely look at how I can improve the aesthetics of the blog with pictures and possibly anything else I can find. I look forward to reading your new blog post, as well as your future posts soon!
Sincerely,
Unas
Dear ShiekKhalid,
This is an awesome blog post! The variety of poems that symbolize your culture is magnificent. By integrating your culture into the blog you have created such an in-depth and interesting post. I like the flow of the blog and how you connected it with the previous post creating that connection to your past self.
I would add on more stylistic choices to help create stronger writing but as a whole, this is a pretty strong piece of work. Great job.
This is an amazing post and insight into your personal life so thank you for that. I am glad that I have been able to see your progression as a writer and individual. I hope you have a future filled with happiness and you achieve all your goals.
Sincerly,
Rohan Sharma
Dear Rohan,
Thanks for reading my blog post and taking the time to give me feedback, I’ll definitely pay attention to your tips!
Sincerely,
Unas
Dear Unas,
I was hooked by the first line written in Urdu, since I know that in the past combining languages has always produced some amazing work for you! I love the concept of writing in threes (the significance of which you explained later on.) The country of Pakistan is different in a lot of ways to Canada, and I like how you focussed on showing the positivity of the differing perspective in this work. Your writing style is as clean and aesthetic as I have ever seen it: the alliteration with “luscious land” and the “jalebi” metaphor were excellent additions.
As this is a piece that thrives due to the use of symbols, I would recommend that you explain some of the terms to other readers. For example, “leading the listeners towards success” has a meaning to you and I that someone else might not be aware of. Providing where this comes from could help all readers be on the same page.
Great work, Unas! I’m privileged to have been able to read your work for the past few years and see your progression as a writer. I look forward to continuing to read your work this summer and in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Zaid
Dear Zaid,
Thank you for both reading and giving feedback on my blog post, I appreciate it. I’ll be modifying my blog post right now since the feedback you gave me is essential.
Sincerely,
Unas