I’ve been reading Elif Shafak’s memoir Black Milk: on Writing and Motherhood recently. The writer talks of the “harem of women inside her”, she calls them her Choir of Discordant Voices, her Thumbelinas, her finger-women. These women inside her are both her guides and her critiques; they disagree on everything and argue constantly, there’s noContinue reading “The Harem in Me”
Author Archives: Mubashshira Rahman
short thoughts: on beginnings and endings
“Crucial to finding the way is this: there is no beginning or end.” I consider these words as I try to trace our journey, from the first awkward introduction to now. I’m trying to figure out how we got here, how every soul baring conversation, every round of banter, every unexpected adventure, every conflict ofContinue reading “short thoughts: on beginnings and endings”
short thoughts: the upcoming death of a diary
Hello, friend. Hi, dear diary I’ve downloaded all my excess and overwhelming thoughts and feelings into for the past few years. I wonder who I’ll be when you are all filled up? Why does it feel so literal, the very real possibility of a closing chapter in life, nay, the ending of a saga, coincidingContinue reading “short thoughts: the upcoming death of a diary”
Kaleidoscope
a million facets, ever-changing never still, never captured by eyes or otherwise ~ the kaleidoscope of him only grows ~ holding its secrets close it flies free, reveling and she’s left, still wondering I will forever be left fascinated by kaleidoscopes, and the people who make kaleidoscopes seem simple. This is my attempt at aContinue reading “Kaleidoscope”
My earthly casing
I think about you often too often perhaps, or maybe not enough I look at you and wonder – are you me? or am I you? My very soul tethered to you, my earthly casing yet I love you more when there’s less of you to love. You stretch and grow to hold my truthsContinue reading “My earthly casing”
What’s in a name…#lockdownpoem
They called it “the new normal” We stayed at home, put away our going out shoes and bags Got used to seeing the same faces at every meal and also in between, some of us only on screens. Do they miss us? The streets we used to clog with our fume-y automobiles The seats onContinue reading “What’s in a name…#lockdownpoem”
Letters to my younger selves
Dear 18 year old Mubash, I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. I remember you as so eager. Eager to please, eager to fit in, eager to succeed – whatever that meant. You travelled halfway across the world to start a new phase of life, the college years, the America years, the first timeContinue reading “Letters to my younger selves”
Of love and laundry….#dVerse
It’s 2.12 am here and I can’t sleep so have written my first verses for Poetics hosted by dVerse. The theme is laundry. It’s my first time participating in anything like this and I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that it’s a poem about laundry, written on the notes of my phone.Continue reading “Of love and laundry….#dVerse”
I don’t do poetry but…
Untitled I don’t do poetry but sometimes, a picture, a moment, a fleeting feeling – makes prose seem inadequate. Like when I saw that one little flower so delicate and fragile but still alive peeking out amongst its long dead companions. Or maybe it’s just me, always looking for signs in a world of coincidences.Continue reading “I don’t do poetry but…”
Sometimes woman, sometimes flower ~ always blooming
Dear dedicated fan of this illustrious blog, You’ve probably lost a lot of sleep in the last few weeks over the lack of posts here. I apologise, I never meant to cause you distress. I know how you all probably schedule your week around reading my latest post. The truth is I haven’t felt likeContinue reading “Sometimes woman, sometimes flower ~ always blooming”
Musings by Mubashshira 