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Poem: A Self Evaluation

Poem by Sadaf Munshi an American poet who was born in Kashmir.
poem illustration from pxhere
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It was a deep connection
Far-reaching yet undefined
I wonder what prompted it
There was no history
No prior contact whatsoever
Nothing visibly discernible
Nor physically tangible either —

It tested my resilience
Defeated my sense of platitude
Perseverance —
I cringed
And I crawled
Like an earthly insect
A bird with broken wings
Or a shepherd
Parted from his sheep
Wandering and confused
Aimless –-

Perhaps it’s time to capitulate
For a calm self-assessment
An evaluation of sorts
To measure the heavenly
Against the mundane. 

Image courtesy: Pxhere

Dr. Sadaf Munshi is a US-based academic, writer and artist of Kashmiri-Indian origin, born and raised in Srinagar, where she completed her early education. She began her professional journey as a playwright for the state television Doordarshan in 1990’s while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Science. A deteriorating political situation in Kashmir forced her to leave her hometown. After completing an MA and an M.Phil. in Linguistics at the University of Delhi, she went to the United States to conduct doctoral research at the University of Texas at Austin. A person of multi-dimensional interests, Munshi has travelled extensively in India and Pakistan, besides other countries, studying language, music and culture. Munshi has published numerous social and political critiques and personal accounts on a wide range of topics related to language, society, culture, politics and gender. A polyglot and a poet, she writes in English, Urdu and Kashmiri. Some of her incisive pieces of satire were broadcast on the state television in Jammu & Kashmir. A self-taught visual artist and art critic, she has produced numerous pieces of art in oil, watercolor, and multimedia.

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