Quillworks

Where had love gone?

The glasses were broken. The ceramic vases, which had been made by his own hands and gifted to me on my 21st birthday, were broken. The petals of the flowers, which had been held in the vases and artfully picked for their scent and colour and aesthetic appeal with regards to my preferences, were broken. The house - the very one that we had built from doors to windows, from memories upon memories, from chaos to silence - was broken.

Silence had never been my friend. Not when I had lived amongst the cacophony of sounds, the pictures of life, the memories of loved ones, since I was a kid. I had known what love looked like even before I opened my eyes, having heard its music before I could even feel it. So why is it now that I can't hear its music anymore? The music that had ringed its tunes in my ears since birth, the colour that had painted my life since before I stepped into this world, the air that had filled my lungs before I even knew how to breathe.

Love was poetry sung in different volumes by different singers, tugging at different heartstrings, all to cover us in the blanket of solace.

So where had my love gone?

My eyes couldn't skimming the wrecked room as though they were feverishly trying to find the words that had etched itself into my soul, in the shape of him. But that was my heart speaking. Not my brain. For the first time, when I needed logic to save me from despair, my brain had chosen to fail me. It wasn't stopping my eyes from tearing, my ears from listening, my heart from beating, not when it knew that my poetry had ended.

That my music had lost its rhythm.

That my colours had stopped painting.

That my lungs had stopped breathing.

So why was I still living, when I knew that the singer of my music, the painter of my colours, the poet of my poetry, was gone?

A picture frame lay shattered near my feet. The shards of glass nicked at my skin but I paid no heed as I caressed the picture. The first remnant of our love. The first moment the poetry was sung.

And yet it had been so easy for people to erase the words of that poetry, to break the chords of that music, to wash of the colours of that painting. All with a single stab to the heart.

No, not single. It had taken five stabs. Five stabs for my love to abandon me. The doctors had warned me that survival was low but I didn't believe them. I couldn't. Because love was poetry written for forever. It couldn't leave me.

And yet it did.

Love was poetry sung in different volumes by different singers, tugging at different heartstrings, all to cover us in the blanket of solace. Love was a painting coloured with different strokes by different artists, tugging at different heartstrings, all to envelope us with the art of joy.

But no one prepares us for when the poetry comes to an end, when the singers stop stop singing, when the artists stop painting.

The doctors couldn't save my love. They couldn't stop my poetry from ending.

So it is only fair that the glasses remain broken. That the ceramic vases, which had been made by his own hands and gifted to me on my 21st birthday, remain broken. That the petals of the flowers, which had been held in the vases and artfully picked for their scent and colour and aesthetic appeal with regards to my preferences, remain broken. That the house - the very one that we had built from doors to windows, from memories upon memories, from chaos to silence - remain broken.

my words were a weapon

My words are a weapon.

a weapon so sharp, so lethal,

like a blade jutting into others,

at the hint of my command.

My words are a weapon.

it pulls me between worlds,

travels me beyond horizons,

And throws me above the skies.

words

were

weapon

a weapon that played pictures in my mind

that now fade in the dying horizon,

the colours melting into each other,

a tapestry of laughter and tears

words

were

weapon

a weapon that sang voices in my mind,

a cacophony of love, pain and joy

that now softens into a dull melody,

retreating into the tombs of my mind

my words were a weapon

a weapon loosening from my hold,

slipping from my grasp

into the void below

Hope is Poison

a light Feather that

Caresses our cheeks

only to leave Behind

Paper cuts with every tweak

has all of us

Wishing for it

but like a Biased teacher

only plays Favourite

it makes our hearts Beat

our faces Smile

but in Reality, it's more

Slithery than slime

it Shoots our heart

Frowns our face

Punctures our lungs

till Death do we face

the real Wolf in

Sheep's clothes

Stabs our gut

with every Poke

the secret Sin

we all Crave

and like Wretched souls

we all Cave

Bit by Bit

as time goes on

our Withering resolve

has long been Forgone

it takes too much

yet gives too little

the only Gift left

is soul too Brittle

with one Bite

the Venom clouds

our hearts and minds

till they Pain enshroud

the more we take

the less it gives

for our Greed is what

on it, it Lives

too many sides

too many faces

too many angles

too many bases

like a Dream

that never comes True

its only purpose

is to makes us Blue

a silent Killer

just like Sugar

too sweet to behold

yet leaves us Bitter

The Mirror is Me

the glass in front of me stood still

stood strong.

yet i waited, and waited,

i kept waiting for it crack.

my voice grew louder, more fervent

as i kept raising it higher.

Higher and Higher.

Louder and Louder.

my lungs screamed at me

begging me to stop

to shower mercy on them,

but i didn't.

I wouldn't.

so i kept raising, raising my voice

Louder than before,

wanting to see when the glass would crack,

wanting to know where its limits lay.

the first crack came, followed by the second, the third,

and it kept going.

the chain kept going, the rest following the first, all together

in one line.

one after another.

only then I raised my eyes,

looking at what was inside the glass.

Arms, legs, neck, face

A body.

A person.

A...me.

so it wasn't a glass after all,

it wasn't a glass that cracked.

it was a mirror, that's what it was,

And with the mirror,

I cracked too.

Education is a right for all.

Education. Gender discrimination. Sound familiar?

Since history, ages ago, education has been a major contributing factor to gender discrimination. When I was young, I used to watch so many shows, hear so many things and whenever it came about certain aspects like sports or education, the term gender was always applied. Why is it that even now in the 21st century where women are being given more power, we have still not achieved gender equality.

Truth is, it’s about mindset. No matter how many women become leaders, they will always have to face discrimination just because they are females. And honestly, you can’t blame the biased people. Because that is what history has taught them.

Look at our history. It was common practice for the males to work while the women stayed at home and cooked and cleaned. Despite doing so many things for the house, for their families they were always oppressed. Why?

But just asking questions won’t get us anywhere.

Even now, these same things are happening. Women are still oppressed and discriminated much more than men. Why is that? Shouldn’t we learn something from the past?

I am sure many of you may have heard about the Taliban banning education for girls. And because of that, today, thousands of women have had their dreams crushed, their hopes for a better life destroyed.

I may not be experiencing what those women are but I want to speak for them. I want them to know that they are the strongest, most resilient people I know. And I salute them for being able to handle all of this even if they don’t deserve it.

Today, I want to speak for all those women out there who have spent their lives being oppressed by the males. Who have had their dreams crushed. Who have had their rights unrightfully taken away from them. Who have always been deemed weak because of their gender. Today, I want to speak for them all.

I am no politician but I do know that education is a human right. It is not and never should be a privilege. Both young and old, rich and poor, male, female and others, they should all be given the right to education.

Since ancient times we have always thought that education is a right for males and today I want to question that. Why?

Why is this notion still existing today?

Why is that women are still deemed as weak and less competent than males?

If a guy can study and work why can’t a girl do the same?

If a guy can earn money why can’t a girl do the same?

Why are people so afraid of giving women education?

Why are people so unwilling to give women the power of knowledge?

This power of knowledge and education, it does not belong to anyone. It is not entitled to anyone. Everyone deserves to study, to work, to be educated. Why do we have to bring the term gender into the topic of a basic human right?

My question goes to all of you males, how many times have you felt ashamed or humiliated just because a girl defeated you in something? Just because a girl was better at you than something?

Till now the mentality that women can’t do certain stuff like play video games or sports, it still exists when it should have been eradicated long ago.

Why is that women are always subjected to cooking and cleaning just because it is housework?

If a woman wants to study, let her.

If a woman wants to work, let her.

If a woman wants to earn money, let her.

And even if a woman does not want to do any of this, let her.

If we can give the power of making decisions to the males, then we damn well can give this power to the females.

To all those who think that females are weak, let me remind you that it was a woman who went through nine months of pain and then the torture of labour to push you out into this world. Women are capable of so many extraordinary things in life other than just managing the household so they should never be treated as less.

And this fear of females being better than males, it is ridiculous. We should compete against others not because of their gender but because of capability.

Stop feeling ashamed that a girl was better than you at something. Stop thinking that girls are just good for getting pregnant and taking care of the family.

Stop thinking that girls don’t deserve to be educated. You are no one to decide for them what they can or cannot do. If males are given the freedom of choice then why can’t females be given that freedom too?

To everyone out there, what is so wrong if a woman wants to be educated? Wants to have a job? Wants to play sports? Wants to game?

I think we are all forgetting that before male, female, girl, boy, young, old, we are humans first.

So start treating someone as another human not by their gender, race or nationality. None of these should affect the competency of an individual.

We are all humans first and we all deserve our basic rights, like education.

We are humans first.

What Am I?

I live in a library

Trapped under thick covers,

their smell lingering on me.

Not even light penetrates me,

yet I can be seen.

What am I?

I live in a movie

Where I come alive, and am sung.

Where I make friends

And enemies.

What am I?

I live in a war

Where I am thrown mercilessly,

weaker than daggers,

Smaller than knives

Yet I make ‘em bleed more.

I live in emotions

Sour yet sweet,

Promising yet breaking,

Heartfelt yet sorrowful.

What am I?

I live in

You

They

Them

She

What Am I?

I am

Words.

I can

Kill

Heal

Smile

Cry

Whisper

Yell

I am

Words.

I can

Promise

Betray

Sing

Scream

Read

Said

I am

Words.

We are not packages meant to be labelled

This is not a story or any work of fiction. This is about me voicing out my opinions on a particularly sensitive topic that I have seen and experienced in real life. I am not here to tell others how to act or behave, rather I’m just trying to build and show others another perspective that they may have outlooked. I am not placing blame or accusing anyone or even calling anyone out. So please do not get the wrong idea and read this with an open and accepting mind. If you can’t do it then you have all rights to close this post right now.

How many times have you have been called names, not just from bullying but jokingly from your friends as well? How many times have you heard others place labels on you that they think is just for entertainment and completely harmless? Jokes are a completely different topic but they should never be mixed with ‘harmless insults’ because whether you believe or not insults do hurt. It doesn’t matter if they were said in a joking way, calling someone out for their weight or acne or any other insecurity repeatedly is hurtful. Ever since my teen years started, I became more aware of the intimidatingly long range of insecurities that can plague someone and what was even scarier was how difficult it was to get rid of them. Not to mention the world we are living in right now that is practically run by social media is becoming increasingly toxic in many ways that far too scary to fathom.

The insurmountable standards we have placed on ourselves are driven from the judgements that have been conceived in society itself. Where do you think labels like ‘pretty’ or ‘hot’ or ‘ugly’ have originated from? They didn’t come from another planet, they were born right here, in this world we live in by us. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, I’m not sure, but what I do know is society is becoming exceedingly toxic and setting high demands for the human race. From what I see it as, our world just doesn’t function without labels. Becoming ‘perfect’, in anything for that matter, had seemed so marvellous at first but is now contaminated with outrageous ideas of having an impossibly slim body or having a ‘golden ratio.’ It is because of these labels that society has created that the self esteem of many people, young or old, is starting to get destructed.

Yes, there are many platforms to better build your esteem or confidence but if we compare both sides, I think we all know that toxicity would win. There are too many labels, too much pressure on people just to ‘look good’ that the idea of beauty has completely changed. People are spending millions to change their face just so that that they fit into society’s ridiculously high beauty standards. However, the effects of these labels are too tremendous to ignore. Deteriorating mental health, suicide, these are just a few of numerous effects that labels have plagued us with.

We are all so pressured to be liked, to look attractive, to fit in that we have started living our life on the basis of these labels. And what about those who have to constantly listen to people mocking their insecurities, throwing labels at them like it’s no big deal? They are on the verge of hurting themselves too, if they haven’t already. Because we are constantly exposed to these harmful labels all the time, it makes us think that our world only revolves around these labels. And then the effects start to hit in. Like I said, suicide and depression are just a few of the many harmful effects labels have on people.

I am not here to tell people how they should talk to others. I am here to show them what their words are doing to others. Whether or not they choose to continue using these labels on others is completely on them because, in the end, I can’t force people to change. And for all those people whose lives have been affected by these labels, I am not going to be a hypocrite and tell you to love yourself because I have no right to. The reason is, I have many insecurities as well and until I have not learnt to love myself, I can’t tell others to do the same. Like I said, I am only here to show you what labels have done to our world, to us. Labels have become the foundation of practically every aspect of our world. The standards of ‘beautiful’ or ‘talented’ or even ‘competent’ have completely changed and reached to insurmountable heights.

Stop contaminating the idea of ‘perfect.’ Stop using harmful labels for both yourself and others because you are not going to get anything out of it. If you choose to use labels for yourself, you will start walking on the path of self-destruction. And if you use it for others, you will be creating their path of destruction. It may seem entertaining to you to joke about someone’s face or weight, but it’s not. Deep inside it does hurt them and it is only a matter of time before the hurt evolves into something more painful.

I was taught that compassion should be the fundamental of humanity. Yet what I see is compassion being replaced with selfishness and ignorance. We all live in this world together and if we don’t take care of ourselves no one will. So let us all stop contaminating our home and our lives.

There is nothing funny about mocking someone so open your eyes and look at what your actions are resulting. I believe that labels should not be the basis of our identity until unless you yourself are genuinely alright with it. And if you are completely comfortable with the labels given to you then there is no harm in that. Labels should be given and taken with intention of comfort and joy not hurt and shame.

In the end, we should ask ourselves this, are labels really the basis of humanity?