Naheed Akhtar’s Two Poems

Naheed Akhtar is a seasoned poet. She creates beauty with lucidity. In simple language her thoughts flow at once from the space inside her heart to the canopy of the sky, coursing the waves of time and tide to preserve thoughts within the frame of a painting, with the strokes of the brush running swiftly and aesthetically as a dancer’s feet. She deconstructs the idea of romance by turning it on its head, where the object of love gasps at being stalked, covers her face and reaches a dead end. Her feminist self exposes the idea of chasing in love as it is no less than a nightmare.

1. Canopy of Awe

Though, you could never know;

I rejoice the mesmerism of you; that

Fabricates a shining sky

In the small chamber inside my chest,

With a promise made to myself-

The judicious awe, you had created, must prevail

While recurring waves of

Time and tide,

Try to break the canopy

Diminishing the stars in the kindest way-

This enchantment became my favourite;

Like a fine painter bowing down

On the canvas to preserve his thoughts,

Sealing them from all angles

Inside the frame-

Letting his fingers travel,

Like a Bharatnatyam dancer’s feet

On the music composed in madness.

2. Romance

The sky was moonless

And I had fallen breathless

Being chased by

The stream of mud

As if the catastrophe

Spreading a black sheet all around

I reached

The end of the yard-

It was a dead end, and

I had no option to run further,

I Turned, thrusting palms to my face

A deep gasping breath then

Ushered me open the eyes

And found my being in the bed

It was middle of the night

Dating the nightmare.

Bio:

Naheed Akhtar is an Assistant Professor of English and a bilingual poet, representing the vibrant city of Hyderabad in Southern India. With a profound passion for poetry, Naheed has carved a niche for herself in the literary realm. Her poetic journey is adorned with four remarkable collections, namely Phantasms of My Heart, The Earth’s Love, The Morphine and Beyond the Clouds. Participating in various literary festivals, Naheed Akhtar’s presence has graced the National Kolkata Book Fair, where ‘The Morphine’ was launched in collaboration with the Sahitya Academy, the Department of Culture and Language, and the Government of West Bengal. Her poetic expressions have found a home in both national and international magazines, showcasing the universality of her themes and the resonance of her words. In addition to her English poetry, Naheed actively engages in Urdu poetry, participating in Mushairas across India, earning Certificates of Participation for her enriching contributions.