9 Comments
User's avatar
Mubeen I.'s avatar

"Amongst men who have forsaken God and forged all they have, with gazes that never lower and tongues that know no truth, I save my life by swallowing my spirit, dying a million deaths to prevent another."

Felt that. Brilliant!

Zahra Hassan's avatar

Thank you Mubeen!

Aamir's avatar

Reminded me of lines from Bulgakov’s White Guard written at the peek of Stalinist oppression:

‘Everything passes away - suffering, pain, blood, hunger, pestilence. The sword will pass away too, but the stars will remain when the shadows of our presence and our deeds have vanished from the Earth. There is no man who does not know that. Why, then, will we not turn our eyes toward the stars? Why?’

Aamir's avatar

Beautifully expressed Zehra gi

Zahra Hassan's avatar

meherbani 🙏

Awaisha Inayat's avatar

Thank you for sharing something so vulnerable, so precise and yet so expansive. It is a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the quiet, unyielding power of patience, faith and metaphor. :)

Zahra Hassan's avatar

Thank you ☺️

Marwa Essam's avatar

Wait, it is 1:00 AM, and I should have been sleeping. But when I saw that you published it, I read it immediately. This is sooo beautiful, fr ✨💓

Ramadan Mubarak

Zahra Hassan's avatar

You're the loveliest! Khair Mubarak and thank you for reading and your kind words dearest Marwa 🩷