Death Becomes Us

Bina:

Damn! Damn! Damn!

You have touched those chords. Why did you have to do it? Reminding us of those feelings that we were trying, in vain now it seems, to hide beyond our reach.

This is not academic, like where were you when Oswald or the man on the grassy knoll pumped some through JFK. This is real!

“..one twisted piece for each silence that we spoke...”

The only other emotion that can supersede this is the sure knowledge of someone who is withering before our eyes. This is even more agonizing. We exchange looks with someone who will be no more. And ...... and words, ever so handy disappear into mercurial fog.

Wished I had read this another time.

love,

t

Bina,

This is truly powerful. You have elegantly expressed a topic where most of us are at a complete loss of words. I could go on but I remain overwhelmed with the grief expressed in the article.

Kind regards

Lyahus

An excellent article with some really vivid ``snapshots`` of what it is like confronting death.

Bina:

Quite a surreal ambience.It seemed to be at once from near & afar.Your reined in style is superb.

``jis tarah aayegi jis roze quaza aaye gi

Khwah quatil kee tarah aaye ya mehboob sifat

Dil sey buss hoagi yehee hurf e vidaa kee soorat

Li-Lah al-humd ba anjaam e dil e dil zadgaan

Kalima e shukr ba naam e lub e sheeren dehnaan``

Faiz Ahmad Faiz.

Hmmm .. my favourite topic .. Death !

Bina, it sounds like the trauma of death of a loved one.

However, what makes you think Death ends all ? And I`m not talking of going to Heaven or Hell, or even the pain of the ones left behind. The person who died is happy where he/she is. Your sorrow means nothing ... the person who died is thinking how silly is your sorrow .. only now he/she knows the meaning of life/death.

``Wherefore I praised the Dead who are already more so than those walking which are yet alive. But the best is he who hath not been born ... who hath not seen the evil works done under the Sun !``

[Ecclesiastes]

Rgds

Cushioned by a clear warm yolk, protected by a mineral cage and embraced by walls of burgundy flesh, would a foetus, a pseudo life desire for birth; to lay buoyant in a liquid universe where the membranes, his boundary to all reason and rationality lie within a limb`s reach. Nothing exists on the other side.

Would it wish for a birth? Would it crave for an ending to this comfort and reason, to stop hearing the lullaby of two hearts, one of its nourisher, the other a bantam imitation? Would it wish the beat to be replaced by alien tones, sounds of cries and wails? Would it wish its tiny universe to be ripped open, only for it to undergo the claustrophobic tension and torsion where its soft skull would curve and twist and shoulders would converge to one point? Would it wish for an ending to his life by that all-consuming white light that lies at the end of the narrow ribbed tunnel?

And yet, isn`t death just that.

Isn`t death just an elaborate womb, a comma in a never-ending sentence, through which all life has to traverse?

Think about it and let me know.

Take care and best wishes

Omar Phoenix

This hit close to home. Great writing.

Omarphoenix:#7

If it is original,then all the more marvellous AND unbelievable.If not,still great!!

Reading this stuff by you has made visit to the CHOWK worth it.

P.S:If this is an excerpt,then please let me know the source.I want to read more.

This is almost as good as Farsi,arabie & urdu literature.

``Maut ik zindgi ka vaqfa hai

yaani aagay chalain gey duum ley kr``

Faani

tr:`Death` is but an interlude in `Life`.we shall move on after the sojourn.

__________________________________________________

wassalaam

Dear Farangi Kush,

Sorry to disappoint you my friend but it is a product of my imagination. More so, I`m currently writing a novel and this was a very small (sound bite) from one of the chapters. I read the article and thought that this was the perfect little paragraph or two to put in. As you know, I`m a `wannabe` scientist, an artist and on my first steps to becoming a published author (Inshallah-If God chooses). I therefor have a tendency to combine the disciplines together. Besides, being a Muslim, you know it was easy to make the comparison. If you lived in London, I could have shown you my paintings. Calligraphy combined with Surrealism has a funky flavour and I get to praise / perform prayer to Allah in my own little way.

Until then, take care and Wassalaam

Omar Phoenix.

Omarphoenix:

Thanks.

Not at all.I `almost` knew that I won`t be disappointed.Your sardonic smile has also been duly noted.

Please reserve the second copy off the press for me.I might insist upon paying for it.You`ve been warned!!!

__________________________________________________

Let me stop it here.Please reply to this on ``Kinni`` board.

This is Binas`board and her story & subject is great.

Death the great Equaliser.

Death lays its icy hands on kings

Sceptre & Crown must tumble down.

(stray memories from ``Radiant Readings`` of my younger years.)

Dear Bina Shah,

Sorry for interrupting your board and getting carried away. The message No. 7 was meant as a comment for your brill. article.

Take care and best wishes.

Omar Phoenix

Nice Idea, good start. Far too trite in the middle... free no-conclusion ending...I would strongly recommend looking for hobbies...

Pretentious ....... why do most writer-wannabes from S.Asia have to be so obtuse, trite, smug and downright irritating ........now I know why I couldn`t stand Urdu poetry in school - it is just as bad in English! What`s this with wallowing in misery and then drowning in it ..... we got it the first time around.

Jhumpa Lahiri - now there is someone we could learn a thing or two from! I couldn`t put the book down until it was finished - and then went back to read some more .....

Sorry for being so blunt ....... just can`t help it.

OmarPhoenix,

If your novel contains half as good writing as you presented in #7, then only a fool wouldn`t publish it :).

Best of luck! Reserve my copy too, after Farangi Kush`s.

Bina....I went back and read your other writings.

I love your sense of humor and ``saying it like it is.``

Reply #: 7 Omarphoenix

[Isn`t death just an elaborate womb, a comma in a never-ending sentence, through which all life has to traverse? ]

You bet it is ! Life and Death are nothing more than a journey from one womb to another, till the ultimate womb of eternity.

That solves the mystery of procreation - men`s strong desire to be inside that womb (or path to it) again ... the warmth and security they always missed. Nature`s way to ensure sustenance of the homo-sapiens.

Rgds

Omar Phoenix, Reply#7

How can you be so sarcastic and psycho at one end (in your `mem sahib` article) and so philosophic the next!

Let me know.