To the place my old pappy used to say

My dreams would have laughed at me,

If they could have

“The arrogance of ignorance”, is how a success story scoffed

when I told him what I would be

But deep inside I knew, Where the last laugh would be from

The strains of my old man’s lullabies have almost been forgotten

Except for that line that said-”You will touch the stars one day”

So I believed…..more surely than anything else

That I will hold haughty success by the scruff of his neck one day…

To move me from where I stood to where I would be

Had much to Learn, do and acquire, I knew

So I took toddler steps every day

A couple of feet and I would fall, flat on my back

till my soul bled and will almost cracked

But before unforgiving life could finish his condescending countdown

I was back on my legs again

When conquered tracks gave up their journeys before me

I retraced and sought new directions

Till I crisscrossed the whole terrain In a frantic search for my destiny…

And standing where I do today, I can almost get the whiff of arrogant victory

He is hiding somewhere around

Our rendezvous could be in the next minute or even eons away

But that expert evader and I would meet

And stare at each other

Till his eyes give away those shades of respect

And I will hold him up for all those to see

Whose pens were out to write me off…

Let them quickly unscramble their well rehearsed lines

Or rewrite their versions of the rules of life….

Till they dissuade no one no more.

Then sitting on the mountain top I would look out for any soul

Who hasn’t started yet

Or who dared to give up on the climb

Or hopelessly lost his way….

I would call out these lines to them

Till every valley echoes them around

And my song shall guide them up….

Every note shall inspire

Every rhythm shall lead

To the place my old pappy used to say

From where

They can all touch the stars one day.

Now those were my verses…now listen to the Creator’s

And we will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient

And perhaps you hate a thing and its good for you, and perhaps you love a thing that is bad for you, and allah knows, while you know not

And victory is not except from Allah, the exalted in might, the wise

And take provisions, but indeed the best provision is fear of allah

And seek help through patience and prayer

So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior, if you are true believers

Verily, for those who have Taqwa, there will be success

If allah should aid you, no one can overcome you, but if he should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after him