This Prisoner Breathes

This Prisoner Breathes

I am trapped in a jungle of voices
In which I cannot spread my wings
Even so, you insist that I take flight
You will not set me free
And are so offended by my point of view
That you stitch my eyelashes closed
You insist that I must explain the weather
Terrorise my feet with echoes of chains
You say that my desire to be free
Is too much for your precious jungle
Yet you set fire to the boat carrying my feelings
Surround this sea of feeling with desert sand
But listen!
Whatever happens ...
Suffocation, torture, desert or jungle
This prisoner breathes
 

This Prisoner Breathes

 

Original Poem by

Noshi Gillani

Translated by

Nukhbah Langah with Lavinia Greenlaw Language

Urdu

Country

Pakistan