Not much is known about Rabia al Basri, except that she lived in Basra in Iraq, in the second half of the 8th century AD. She did not leave any written works. However, her oral poems were later written down, and they frequently express themes of intense Divine Love.

Without You — my Life, my Love —

I would never have wandered across these endless countries.

You have poured out so much grace for me,

Done me so many favors, given me so many gifts —

I look everywhere for Your love —

Then suddenly I am filled with it.

– Excerpted from My Joy by Rabia al Basri

What matters

By Hafza Noor

I was leaving,

So I thought why not

Solve a riddle,

And tell the world

What matters?

So I tell you,

Peace matters

When you are dying,

And when you are leaving

Contentment matters

When you are living,

And when you are thriving,

Peace matters.

You see happy faces,

With shining, gloomy eyes,

What brings the shine?

Peace and contentment.

At the end of the day,

Or maybe life,

Or the world.

Writers

Ali Asghar Ghani

Undying pain, broken heart,

Bleeding thoughts, eternal grief,

Is what they call writers.

The Insides

By Mashaal Farid

Long lost the fragments of rest and peace,

Arranging the clutters of elderly fleece,

Burnt those personas of morals and sophistication,

Walking in the skin of shame and suffocation,

Living in the spaces between I and myself.

With wings made of dust and tensions,

And a garment of grey retentions,

I roam this city with a shadow identity.

Monsters

By Hira Nasir

I don’t really believe

What you ask of me,

Be brave and move on?

While the monsters still roam around

How can I go out?

Knowing they are waiting to attack,

How can I be brave?

Knowing I’m all alone

In a world where wolves

Are free,

And the sheep caged.

In a world where beasts

Roam around,

While we make sure,

That the door is always locked.

I’m not sure when this will end.

I’m not sure when justice will prevail.

All I know is no matter what we do,

We are not safe,

Unless we stand up,

Be united,

And kill the monsters,

Before they wipe us.

Compiled by SK