Call Me رخسار

Call Me رخسار

it swept in

it swept in from the west

gliding along the Persian winds

climbing over the mountains of the Indus Valley

grazing the river tenderly

whispering its melody along the way.

then in time it began a new journey

far vaster and more dangerous

riding the raucous waves of the ocean

fighting against the stark white winds

that tried to hold it back

finally landing here

in Urdu it is alive with the

sound of poetry flowing from a shayar’s lips

only meant to be used in the highest contexts

to admire a lover’s rosy complexion

to compliment a child’s cheeks when she smiles

to appreciate the graceful contours of one’s countenance

but when it’s uttered here

it is “complex, difficult to say, more difficult to spell”

and for some reason worth dismissing

as if it hasn’t gone on this journey

across seas and mountains

struggling to get to where it is today

only to be dismissed because

the winds here do not know

the melody it takes

to whisper it

right