A Lover's Confession By Hina Altaf

The Rising Phoenix Review

February 11

The cleric said,
"Jews are the worst of your enemies,
Hate them, fight them,
Slaughter them wherever"

I am a lover, my heart is fragile
I can't hate, I can't fight, I
Can't slaughter.

But

Shall I burn in Hellfire?
Shall God blow His wrath
On me?
Shall I not savour the wine
From the heaven's streams?
Shall I not have my own palace there?

But

I can't loathe my brother,
Who just has another scripture
Of the same syllabus.
I cannot fight the one
Who has a heart, and a soul And is flesh like me.
I cannot slaughter my sister,

Who has a baby to feed, and
Smiles me back whenever
Passes by.

By Hina Altaf

Biography:

Hina is Kashmir-based poet. She teaches literature and linguistics at a public university in Kashmir (a state in Pakistan). Her main themes are love, loss, death, loneliness, women, politics etc. She believes that words have a power and one day she will be able to communicate her philosophy of life to the world through her poems.