Maturity!

Now that it is agreed  between us –

To be cautious

While driving on the bumpy road of life in dusky evenings

I can only say-

We've grown up today!

But O you beautiful lady,  may I ask you one more thing- 

With some interruption-

Before your silence stir my restless heart?

Let's cease this moment with our trembling hearts

Let's our craving lips do the rest of the talking!

Farid Gul, Peshawar, November 11, 2012

Just a little thought !

Be positive, no matter what. Be bold and courageous, no matter what.  Be the voice for the voiceless, no matter what. Always stand for justice, no matter what. Always speak your mind , no matter what. Remember, nothing is greater than the act of kindness, and care. Be kind to everyone. Be kind to animals and birds. Be kind to little flowers and plants. Be kind to your environment. In doing so, some may call you stupid dreamer, wayward idealist.Your value must not diminish based on how people may think of you. Never hide behind stupid religious walls and fears and differences, no matter what. If you stand for others, the world will stand for you, no matter what.Your journey must not stop in the midst of a dark night. It must continue. It must grow, no matter what.

Farid Gul, Peshawar, 26 May, 2015

Because she is a woman ! On International Women Day!

Because she is a WOMAN !
So she can cook for you and your kids-
and THAT'S OK? 
And she is expected to serve you first-
because you are a man
while she can fight her appetite
because she is a woman- AND THAT'S OK too?
And she cleans you and your BLOODY house.
She gets your children ready for school
and YOU- for work. She raises your children-
make them doctors, engineers, teachers, nice human beings.
And she washes, presses and mends your clothes.
And she cleans your babies bottoms which in the best possible way- you avoid to see?
And she does this all - not for an hour or two, but unrecorded tiring , thankless hours.
But she can't poll her vote. Because she is a WOMAN?
Because she has no choice ?

Farid Gul Momand

On Peshawar school massacre !

They left us all,  one day –

For an unknown journey on an unfamiliar road 

A journey –
Like an aching sigh, without end
A road –Like the air or breadth empty


But like migrating birds –
I know they will come back one day
Perhaps- next year
Perhaps-  16th of December


Like migrating birds –
I know they will come back
From the distant shores
Grown up wiser and taller,  only
To pay a TRIBUTE to our dead souls and cheap pride.


Farid Gul Momand , December 18, 2014 

Everything perishes sooner or later !

Everything perishes , sooner or later-
Even the pain of separation –
The silent ecstasy of reunion
Or a rare trance of oblivion- everything perishes.

Everything perishes, sooner or later;
But this heart of mine - ever so youthful
Aspire to live on –
So look inside my heart-
And yours too,
If you have the slightest of mercy to let us live.

Farif Gul Momand, Peshawar

My Diaries- August 21, 2014

When Jinah said that Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religious philosophies, social customs, and hence must have separates states, he was basically against the idea of inclusiveness. His often twisted exclusive version and interpretation of two nation theory paved the way for the creation of a confused country. The separatist idea that he evoked was further strengthened by corrupt civil and military bureaucracy and some strayed often confused pseudo intellectuals and religious demagogues. Little we knew at the point that this intolerant philosophy will further divide the country.

We need to revisit our history- perhaps, re-write our history. We need to learn to respect the individual as well as the collective identities of people living in the country. We need to learn to respect the sites, rituals, variant political, ethnic, linguistic , cultural and religious - agnostic, atheistic identities of people. This doesn't require some alien interpretation and complex application from East or West, North or South but a sympathetic understanding of our collective indigenous wisdom, our Sufi traditions,our cultural landscape- our imaginations and possibilities. We need to erase this difference between US and THEM,only if we are willing to chase our dreams.

"" You cannot cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water"- Tagore

- Excerpts from my diaries- August 21, 2014, Peshawar

My drowsy night !

In the naked silence of the drowsy night

I won’t let the angry wind from the mountains

To steal you from me – or

Sting us hard in oblivion.

My heart is your inn-

I won’t let you abandon it!

I will welcome you with new possibilities. 

And don’t you let me ever miss-

The lonely scent of your breath, tonight!

O you my city of forsaken dreams-

And infinite possibilities

Tell your dwellers-

Not to sob for tonight either- 

Swallow your grief- 

Let your enemies find you in our lyrics. 

Oiii - the exhausted night-

You too tell the distant dawn to wait!

We are in no hurry, tonight! 

Farid Gul, July 6, 2014

It is only our choices that should make us feel important or intelligent- be that going to hell or pay the highest form of sacrifice than live in constant fear and doubt. If freedom is what we all want- then, long live the freedom! If the plight of people from North Waziristan disturbs us no more- then let's call ourselves something else. Let's invent things that console our dead souls ! Let's revisit our dictionaries- maybe something is missing !

Sing to me tonight!

My love-

Before the wings of the starry night steals me from you

Sing to me tonight!

Sing to me tonight before the ice melt on the mountains-

Sing to me tonight- before the shore of the sultry sea merges into nothingness

Perhaps - with another shore- or maybe some unknown continent never explored before.

 So sing to me tonight, my love!

Sing to me tonight before I endlessly weep

And beat my grieving chest with the chains of indifference -

Shed some unwanted tears

And beg the LORD OF THE LAND –

the MIGHTY LORD OF THE LAND to forgive my people

For a crime never being committed.

Farid Gul, June 20, 2014, Peshawar

I hear people saying here that only God could bring much needed peace to the region. Ridiculous! I say, it is us and only us who bring war and peace to our doorsteps, not God or gods. People should fight for peace, or else we've no future !