commune

Category: Belonging

  • If It Hurts, Why Keep Wearing It?

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    by

    I am anonymous
    in

    Ten end-of-day journal entries from someone forced to wear a painfully tight shoe to work—tracking the small humiliations, coping tricks, and quiet changes that happen when you keep adapting to the same source of pain instead of removing it. Day 1 The pinch started before I even reached the elevator. By lunch my toes felt…

  • Melay Nu, Come to the fair—come with me

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    by

    Usama
    in

    Aj sare chad janjaal kurreMele nu Mele nu chal mere naal kurre ho-ho ho-ho…Today, leave behind all worries and burdens, my girl,Come to the fair—come to the fair with me, my love. Kar buha sanmb shtabi niEh pakarr sandook di chaabi niKoi sutt tu kadh gulabi niPa tile di gurgabi niLe bootian wala roomaal kurreMele…

  • The Orchard

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    by

    Usama
    in

    Come to the orchard in spring.There is light and wine and sweetheartsin the pomegranate flowers. If you do not come, these do not matter.If you do come, these do not matter. I often think of this poem as a tool for discovering what truly matters. The way it works is simple: replace the lover with…

  • A life reLearned

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    by

    I am anonymous
    in

    Dissociative amnesia, they say, is the term often used when the brain automatically blocks out traumatic experiences and painful memories. I never really understood why I was experiencing it until one day, when my best friend pointed out how I had lost track of certain conversations and events from my past. At first, I was…

  • Walk on, the end is not yet here.

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    by

    Usama
    in

    یہ داغ داغ اُجالا , یہ شب گزیدہ (رات سے زخمی) سحر (صبح)وہ انتظار تھا جس کا، یہ وہ سحر تو نہیں Ye daaġh daaġh ujālā, ye shab-gazīda saharVo intizār thā jis kā, ye vo sahar to nahīñFaiz Ahmed Faiz I am only penning down a thought I had about the relationship between personal motivation…

  • Rumi’s Parable of the Chickpea

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    by

    Usama
    in

    On marker day a woman went shopping and came back with a big bag of chickpeas, which she intended to use to make several kinds of salad, dip, and soup. She cleaned the chickpeas, rinsing them well and then soaking them for several hours before boiling them slowly in a big cauldron. As soon as…

  • Which City Is Best?

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    by

    Usama
    in

    Two lovers had found a quiet corner in the rose garden early in the morning before the crowds appeared. “My darling, you’ve traveled the world over and seen many beautiful cities and other incredible sites,” murmured the young girl to her loved one, hoping to challenge him. “Tell me honestly, which is your favorite city?”…

  • The Moment I Let Go

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    by

    Chris K
    in

    It was a smasher.I felt like I died and came back. It was a free fall that never hit bottom.I was released from my body and felt intense fear like never beforeand then it was so warm and comforting almost in the blink of an eyeand I am sorting through it all and I think…

  • #2 koi aashiq kisi mahbuba se by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

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    by

    Usama
    in

    یاد کی راہگزر جس پہ اسی صورت سےمدّتیں بیت گئی ہیں تمہیں چلتے چلتےyaad kī rāhguzar jis pe isī sūrat semuddateñ biit ga.ī haiñ tumheñ chalte chalte ختم ہو جائے جو دو چار قدم اور چلوموڑ (رخ بدلنے کی جگہ) پڑتا ہے جہاں دشتِ (ویرانہ) فراموشی (بھول جانے کی کیفیت) کاḳhatm ho jaa.e jo do…

  • #1 Koi aashiq kisi mahbuba se by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

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    by

    Usama
    in

    گلشنِ یاد میں گر آج دمِ بادِ صبا (ہلکی ٹھنڈی ہوا)پھر سے چاہے کہ گل افشاں (پھول بکھیرنے والی، خوشبو پھیلانے والی) ہو تو ہو جانے دو gulshan-e-yād meñ gar aaj dam-e-bād-e-sabā (gentle morning breeze)phir se chāhe ki gul-afshāñ (flower-scattering / fragrant) ho to ho jaane do عمرِ رفتہ (گزری ہوئی عمر) کے کسی طاق…