It has now become a trend of the society to stigmatise and abandon people who are 'different'. They could be people with physical challenges, the mentally-impaired, the ones from a lower socio-economic status; raped or divorced women; people of a specific race, colour, ethnicity, or religion, the rebels; the outcastes, and the list goes on.
I dedicate this poem to those exceptionally brave people, where ever they reside on the globe.
To the Abandoned Souls
In the dark, freezing night of trauma and pain,
Surrounded by the mist of chaos,
I sit with a lamp in my palms,
shielding it from the winds of harm,
holding on to my faith and remaining strength,
to ward off the shadows of fear within and around me;
Knowing ...
that I'm not alone;
that I'm being watched over;
that the cries of my soul are being heard;
Feeling ...
an unseen hand tending to the wounds of my heart,
Saying ..., 'I AM with you!'.
They abandoned me in the middle of the night, I lament ...
and took my identity, and trust with them,
leaving me injured and exposed to vultures.
They turned deaf ears to my cries,
Is that how humanity dies?
The night is stormy, the tide is high,
with my broken wing, I cannot fly.
I AM your wing, feel free to fly;
Don't wail or grieve over worldly ties,
Beings of clay, mean to leave one day,
Lean on to me, I hear Him say.
Darkness, trauma, fear, and grief,
sharpen your vision, strengthen your belief
Once you're able to see through the veils
you'll find me with you in all your ordeals
You will be blessed with calm and grace
Your enemy will shrink under your gaze
Be fearless; move with steady pace,
Though long and tough, it's just a phase
The night is dark and dreary, long and cold
Focus on the light you hold
This too, shall pass; hold tight and know,
You'll see the crack of dawn for sure
Do not give up; don't be distressed
I'll turn your failures to success
Keep moving, keep doing your best
You'll come out triumphant from this test
With this worldly crowd you cannot merge,
From its own ashes, will the Phoenix emerge;
You will arise from your own blood;
You are made of stardust, not of mud;
– Tabinda Batool