Skip to main content

'Tears Fall in my Heart': Adnan's joy, sorrow, anguish amidst 'disruptions' in Kashmir

By Annette Nasser*
Adnan Shafi's poetry left me in deepest thought throughout his book, and I am quite sure, whoever will read at present time or in the future, will certainly feel the same way.
With pensive rumination, contemplative is each poem, descriptive and expressed fluently, his articulate and creative usage of words, the flowing of his verses, the intensities of emotion with both rhythm and inflection, the senses of everything he feels, whether it be of joy, sorrow, anguish or even his ardency of nature, life and love, the experiences of his own and that of others living in the valley, the close observations through the disruptions of Kashmir, he has written with excellence of sublimity, throughout his book.
You will read, I'm quite certain, such fervour he places through his senses and emotion, the difficulties of Kashmiris, the state of disturbances, the agitation of people, the chaos, the current circumstances and his own yearnings of future dreams.
Every poem written in Adnan's book, I returned again and again, because once is just not enough, every poem touched my heart, profoundly, in one way or another, the senses he felt, you will also feel, with elation or with tears.
To mention some of his poems, "Winter", is described with both colour and imagery, "a mild storm the painted colored leaves upon the ground", "the grunge of the day washed away by gentle rain", "the eerie whistle of snowflakes dropping to the ground pierced my heart", from expressions of "Winter Utopia", to "softest zephyr", felt was his affinity for this spectacular season, in spite of the plight of Kashmir, the author takes in the beauty of the Valley, even in Winter, the sounds he hears of snowfall, the beauty he sees, the wonderment he feels, is also felt by the wording of his illustrious words.
The plights felt, the innocence wounded by actions of others, the scars left upon his heart and soul, regardless of consequences, he takes time to actively describe with his pen, from "wrinkled pages" to seasons, his verbalization, and to quote the Author's line: "wasted like unwritten poetry strangled abortive a compressed paper bemoan", who can write like this? Only the author, his imbued words flowing from "unstoppable ink." The intrepidity felt, "his burning soul", the agony, angst, he knows no other life but his own and what he has observed, what is written so admirably, the misfortunes and yet, I find much strength in his wording and lines.
His affinity for nature is felt throughout many of his poetry. He also writes not only from painful, grieving words of death, sorrows, dangers and destruction, a myriad of flooding prose, voicing sentiments of his faithfulness to Allah, and of poetry, itself, the powerful flow of his pen, wishing for a better future than the one he is living now, at present time, read in his poem, "An Imaginary Valley", he wishes for the ambiance of beloved remembrances, a valley where joy is felt instead of sorrow, where hope and peace can be felt instead of destruction, chaos and deceit of outsiders.
The author takes in the beauty of the Valley, even in Winter, the sounds he hears of snowfall, the beauty he sees, the wonderment he feels
Adnan's poem, "Caged In Thoughts", tells the reader to step into his shoes, those who know nothing about the sensitivities he has endured, yet what he has penned can only be felt with his words, then and only then, can one begin to understand what he has described.
He also writes of love, even from a distance, in his poem, "She Is Gorgeous", description in colourful word imagery, held captive of his senses felt in mellifluous sound or his perception of exquisite sight he beholds, he mentions in his poem, "I have felt but couldn't explain her into words", and yet, he does just that, inscribing his perception, an alluring affection, comparative of love at a distance, through his "piece of art", namely his poetry and further describes, "Poet In Love", a superbly stunning description of how and what a poet feels within the eye of the beholder.
Adnan also writes of his endearing and devoted faith in The Almighty. He writes with conviction and we see it in his sorrows, his joy, his grieving, his strength and even his love through his pensive beliefs, his culture, his perceptions, reflections and introspection, yet, with all of this, especially through his moving voice. He only wishes for the goodness in everything and everyone, the world over.
He has felt anxieties, divulging pain, the flames of control, the paralyzing effects of what has been endured in the valley, wanting to once again breathe, from the mourning, fear and loneliness that circulates into the pores of his skin. 
He writes of innocence, pelleted from the oppression laid upon his land, the grievances felt of the weeping mothers and he cries with them, through his dialogue, within his stanzas and verse, his prosodies of unendurable and intolerable cruelty placed upon the Valley's citizens, he so wishes to escape, to shape his future, to spread his wings, and yet, when I read his poetry, no doubt, this author will in fact, spread his wings further, with the determination, ambition, grit and strength, all attributes he possesses, with his voice and he will indeed, use his abilities, advancing steps further.
In closure, other poetry to mention, "I Am Still The Same Me", "Alone In The Woods", "Man Is Created To Love", "Spilled Ink", "Tragedies" and "Desires", I might as well mention all of his poetry, entirely, throughout Adnan's book, "Tears Fall in my Heart", is defined in such a way, the fresh spirit of this author, with his significant voice, the perspicacity, and a deliverance with brevity, a resonance that will surely ignite readers. Best book ever, I will never tire from reading over and over again.
---
*Writer, reviewer, former editor, and soon-to-be editor for new e-magazine, "International Art and Literature", where she proposes to feature writers and artists; lives in the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts

Comments

TRENDING

Plastic burning in homes threatens food, water and air across Global South: Study

By Jag Jivan  In a groundbreaking  study  spanning 26 countries across the Global South , researchers have uncovered the widespread and concerning practice of households burning plastic waste as a fuel for cooking, heating, and other domestic needs. The research, published in Nature Communications , reveals that this hazardous method of managing both waste and energy poverty is driven by systemic failures in municipal services and the unaffordability of clean alternatives, posing severe risks to human health and the environment.

Economic superpower’s social failure? Inequality, malnutrition and crisis of India's democracy

By Vikas Meshram  India may be celebrated as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, but a closer look at who benefits from that growth tells a starkly different story. The recently released World Inequality Report 2026 lays bare a country sharply divided by wealth, privilege and power. According to the report, nearly 65 percent of India’s total wealth is owned by the richest 10 percent of its population, while the bottom half of the country controls barely 6.4 percent. The top one percent—around 14 million people—holds more than 40 percent, the highest concentration since 1961. Meanwhile, the female labour force participation rate is a dismal 15.7 percent.

The greatest threat to our food system: The aggressive push for GM crops

By Bharat Dogra  Thanks to the courageous resistance of several leading scientists who continue to speak the truth despite increasing pressures from the powerful GM crop and GM food lobby , the many-sided and in some contexts irreversible environmental and health impacts of GM foods and crops, as well as the highly disruptive effects of this technology on farmers, are widely known today. 

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra*  The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

'Restructuring' Sahitya Akademi: Is the ‘Gujarat model’ reaching Delhi?

By Prakash N. Shah*  ​A fortnight and a few days have slipped past that grim event. It was as if the wedding preparations were complete and the groom’s face was about to be unveiled behind the ceremonial tinsel. At 3 PM on December 18, a press conference was poised to announce the Sahitya Akademi Awards . 

The war on junk food: Why India must adopt global warning labels

By Jag Jivan    The global health landscape is witnessing a decisive shift toward aggressive regulation of the food industry, a movement highlighted by two significant policy developments shared by Dr. Arun Gupta of the Nutrition Advocacy for Public Interest (NAPi). 

The illusion of nuclear abundance: Why NTPC’s expansion demands public scrutiny

By Shankar Sharma*  The recent news that NTPC is scouting 30 potential sites across India for a massive nuclear power expansion should be a wake-up call for every citizen. While the state-owned utility frames this as a bold stride toward a 100,000 MW nuclear capacity by 2047, a cold look at India’s nuclear saga over the last few decades suggests this ambition may be more illusory than achievable. More importantly, it carries implications that could fundamentally alter the safety, environment, and economic health of our communities.

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu.  He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat