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Arna Jul 5
Sacrifices
Painful, yet worthy.
Exist in every aspect of life.
As a child,
some fun if health doesn't permit.
As a teenager,
sacrificing extracurriculars to fulfill parents' expectations.
As an adult,
leaving passions to drown in a stressful job in order to lift responsibilities.
As a partner,
sacrificing one’s own wishes to prioritize partner's likes and dislikes.
As a parent,
keeping personal luxuries aside to uplift children happily.
Sacrifices—
even though seem tough to do,
give a sense of calm and content after seeing later results.
They hurt in the moment, but heal in the long run.
From childhood to parenthood, sacrifices silently shape us—painful, yet profoundly purposeful.
Ballerina creases – a ballad of broken pieces,
Break me down in parts, where pain still leases.
My past lives on in inches, bruised by time,
Dancing round the reasons, moving out of line.

Features of me—like a painting left incomplete,
Still breathing, still dreaming, still finding my feet.
Out in the field, trying not to fall behind,
One step ahead of a runaway mind.

Stable thoughts, but the engine’s wild—
Horsepower pulling my inner child.
A wagon of dreams, heavy with code,
I’m stalling, I’m shifting—about to load.

Don’t sell your soul or cheapen your goal,
Even the prettiest dreams can be sold.
We don’t own it all, yet still owe it all—
Through rain and snow, we rise, we fall.

Chasing myself through a frozen road,
Where passion burns, and a runny nose shows.
They can’t see breath—or the vision you hold,
But seeing it yourself is what helps you go bold.
I've also felt
all windows were watching
all walls were listening,
I'd also felt at that time
streets and footpaths were speaking
and veils were lifting.

I've felt
even when I was walking
even when I was stopping
all trees and birds
sky and stars
bosoms and bangles
were seeing everything.

It's true
in that hesitation
whether to stop or proceed
get off or get over,
all roads had appeared
unfathomable.

It's true
I had also read
on the face of surroundings
some broken
some disconnected
some cracked expectations.

I've touched some sentences
and have kissed some words.

Eyes that obstruct the road can be removed
but what happens when hearts block the passage?
that's why
I've also pretended not to see
the windows and walls.

At such time
it has also seemed to me
there've been conspiracies against me,
search for instruments
to hit me in my words
has also been going on.

I've also felt
those eyes and looks
have also been sending a river
of the flowers of feelings somewhere,
raising a hill of the aromas of imagination.

And have experienced at such time
my mind sleeping in the joy of love.
and have felt some arid passion taking me somewhere
lopping off sensitive branches of life.

At such moments
felt my mind wake up with the temptation of life
gathering courage for flowering beauty
even in the desert of living.

Do not think
I've reached where I am now
by slipping like a landslide
or evaporating like a cloud.

I've climbed up here
holding the hilt of time's sword
after driving it
into my tender heart.

Whether anybody comes to convince me or not
a part of my life does always ache
arresting my chest.

-०-
Note - This poem was originally written in Nepali language. This translation has been rendered by Abhi Subedi,
Adnan Hasan May 24
Where lies the gate of this world? I long to escape
Where is the door to this world? I want out
Adnan Hasan May 19
"We go through life without knowing where we’re headed… We run from things without understanding why they chase us. We do everything expected of us—except what we truly desire. We speak endlessly, yet imprison the words we long to say. Lost in tales of the past and those we’re living, torn between dreams we cling to and those that slipped away unnoticed. We grow accustomed to all that happens and has happened to us, facing life while neglecting ourselves. Our hearts are wearied by fate’s whims and exhausted by the weight of passing days."
Adnan Hasan May 19
Some departures we choose,
and some departures are forced upon us—
They arrive with the weight of mountains,
practiced in hesitant steps,
as if dragging the entire world behind us.
We move forward a little... then glance back a little,
for behind us lie things, dreams, souls,
to which our hearts remain tethered.
Ahmed Gamel Apr 13
I chased a river that flowed not for me,
A desert thirst, in need of a touch,
But it never quenched, nor did it set me free—
A ghost of water, the hollow's crutch.

Yet still I ran, for the race was the relief,
And the thirst was never gone,
The closer I came, the deeper my grief,
But I knew, I knew, I had to move on

One side craves the fleeting touch,
Another longs for something real,
Both of them, a tangled clutch,
Waging war inside my mind's steel.

I feel the pull, the burn, the tug,
Both sides whispering to my soul—
One says, "Stay," the other says, "Let go,"
And I am left, alone, with no control

The screen glows with false embrace,
A fleeting balm to soothe my pain,
A world of warmth in pixel’s grace,
But as it fades, so does the gain.

The comfort, fleeting, like morning mist,
It wraps me up, then fades away—
But in that warmth, my heart persists,
To search for solace, come what may

Beyond the Glass
I seek a hand I cannot touch,
A voice that whispers through the screen,
In virtual spaces, I crave so much,
The love I’ve never yet seen.

But still, I reach, I yearn, I chase,
For something more than pixel's light—
I long to find a sacred space,
Where hearts can meet beyond the night

What am I but fragments, torn,
Pieces scattered in the dust?
I need to rebuild, from what I’ve mourned,
Relearn the way, and find the trust.

I see the cracks, but there’s no fear,
Only a chance to fill the space—
To build anew, to reappear,
To find my strength, to find my place

A clash of needs, a war of wants,
One says to chase the fleeting thrill,
Another urges, “Wait, be strong,”
The heart is torn, the soul stands still.

For what is comfort but a cage?
And what is pain but growth’s sweet sting?
To choose the short-term for the wage,
Or face the future, and let it sing?

I wander through the uncertain haze,
The road unknown, but filled with choice,
A path unmarked, in shadowed maze,
I seek a light, I seek a voice.

What is it all, but one grand test?
The answers fade before my eyes—
But in the struggle, in the quest,
I find the truth beneath the lies

I stare into the glass that cracks,
And find a face I do not know—
The cracks are me, but not the facts,
The truth is hidden in the glow.

Who am I, when all is gone?
A shadow lost, a broken dream?
But in the void, I carry on,
For in my mind, I still may gleam.
This poem explores the profound struggle between seeking temporary comforts and the longing for deeper, meaningful connections. It reflects on the internal battle we often face when seeking relief from pain, yet realizing that those quick fixes don’t fulfill our true desires for growth and real connection. It’s an honest dive into the complexities of human emotions, inner conflict, and the search for something more lasting in a world full of fleeting distractions.
Lalit Kumar Apr 1
I sit, the world around me a blur,
Masi talks, but I’m lost in a stir.
Then, the call—unexpected, sharp and bright,
My heart leaps, racing into the night.

Why her, why now? My thoughts collide,
A hundred questions swirl, but none I can hide.
Should I pick up? Should I dare?
Her voice, her presence, it’s too much to bear.

The call drops—disconnected, left to wonder,
My heartbeat thunders like distant thunder.
Then the text, a playful jest,
"Yes, Your Highness," my chest does protest.

She replies, “I need to show you something,”
My pulse quickens, anticipation thumping.
A mystery, a pull, but I can't resist,
I pick up the phone, nervous, clenched fist.

She speaks, her voice like an old, sweet song,
And I hear laughter, where I belong.
But there’s more—Her friend by her side,
And their boyfriends, caught in the tide.

My heart skips—Romantic rival stands, so near,
And I can’t look away, trapped in fear.
She tells him to shut up, her voice a command,
And I watch, helpless, as life slips from my hand.

She turns, showing her saree’s glow,
A princess in pink, stealing my soul.
And I ask, “Are you at Lawgate?” with a smile,
She teases, “MBA,” for just a while.

“I’ll come back too,” I say, trying to play,
But inside I ache, like I’ve gone astray.
Her image haunts me, her beauty remains,
A moment lost, wrapped in chains.

Her voice soft, “Later,” she says with a sigh,
And I stand there, watching her leave, asking why.
She’s with him now, and I’m here, lost,
Her laughter echoes, my heart pays the cost.

We never were, yet we shared it all,
In the same PG, memories that call.
The quiet nights, the shared glances, the unsaid truth,
Now lost in time, like forgotten youth.

Her image stays, as vivid as then,
A beauty, a mystery, forever my friend.
Yet she walks with him, and I stand apart,
A stranger to her, with a broken heart.

Her smile, her saree, the memories remain,
But my heart races, lost in the pain.
Romantic, yes, but sadistic too,
For I loved her then, and still do.
Joshua Phelps Mar 30
Heart beating,
short of breath.

I wake up alone
and wonder:

What would life be like

without you by my side?

The fear of losing you
leaves me choked up inside,

but I'm doing my best
to cast those feelings aside.

It's taken me so long
to open my eyes,

a long journey marred by mistakes,
one after another.

It's taken me so long just
to let my guard down and try.

Sick and tired of building up walls,
I'm simply tired of losing it all.

I'll do everything in my power
to save myself from the fall,

just to spend one more night

with you by my side.
Romance it was,
when I thought
that in this country
I would feel at home.

When I boarded that plane,
headed for the future.
A promising future,
full of trials
and many successes.

I crossed borders,
both physical and emotional.

I never thought my life
would fit into a suitcase.

In my suitcase,
only a few clothes,
but filled with everything
that pushed me forward.

The rest was in my mind:
the embrace of my mother and father.
Will this be the last time I see them?

Longing and nostalgia,
a feeling in my chest.

I don’t know if it’s sadness or love,
pride for doing
what many cannot,
and yet, I dare.

Now I find myself here,
I am the different one,
the one who speaks with an accent.

Strong in life,
wondering what I’m doing here,
searching for my path.

Not for an earthly purpose,
but because the universe
needs me here.

It seems like a terrestrial journey,
but it is an astral journey
to another reality.

Many times I cry,
other times I comfort myself.
I am no longer from here,
but neither from there.

When I say,
"I am from the world,"
I find myself.
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