was excited when I first came across Nishat Wasim’s poetry collection, Listen to the Wind, published by The Little Book Company. It is a book I have returned to many times ever since I got hold of it. I was fascinated by the diversity of content the poet has to offer, each piece transcending the constraints that limit its scope.

The book has the potential to bring the readers immense joy as it shares intimate reflections of the poet. Spanning over the 1984-2022 period, the collection compels the audience to embrace their sensitivity and mindfulness. It will force most readers to pause and reflect on some intricacies of contemporary life.

The poems reflect on a diverse range of social, political and personal themes. Once a reader opens the book, they embark on a long journey in the poet’s company.

Wasim has been writing and publishing poetry since the early 1980s. Her work has appeared in national newspapers, magazines and The Journal of the Pakistani Academy of Letters. It was also included in the Poetry from Pakistan, 1997, anthology. According to Huma Shakir, Wasim’s “art consists of indirect, implied, delicate and nuanced statements hinting at a sensitive individual…”

She pens the complexities of grief and love while evoking a sense of connection, or a lack of connection, present amidst the humans. She tries to create a perfect balance between what is there and what could have been. Her poems are often introspective. Many of these could be read as coming-of-age reflections.

The poems are arranged in a reverse chronological order – depicting the process of becoming. Beginning with The Narrative:

When the narrative of lies

In the garb of truth

Permeates… (19)

Right from the beginning, the significance of narrative building is established. What seems to be a deeply personal journey of the poet at first thus takes a turn towards the exploration of some universal themes. The Cry is one such piece, delving into the inexplicable experience of motherhood:

The shrill cry was music to my ears.

You lay on my chest-

skin to skin-

my heart overwhelmed with joy

love, like I had never known before

enveloped me. (37)

She celebrates the joy of motherhood by penning down her memories. The fragility and vulnerability, strength and celebration evoke the strange miracles of motherhood. As one flips the pages, it becomes evident that memory and experience have an integral part in her poetry. Re-visiting the past is often an attempt to define the poet’s identity. She writes:

with each memory lost

I am diminished. (65)

The poems also reveal her humanitarian stance on the mindless wars, violence and bloodshed. In the poem, Behind the Facade of Human Rights, she voices concern over brutality by humans, who she says have lost the essence of their humanity. The poet sheds light upon the double standards of those pretending to be the caretakers of human rights.

The anthology tells some uncomfortable truths, it speaks of unsaid, undocumented memories of the past. In a way, it is a gateway to life, its ups and downs and its positives and negatives.

Images of violence and proximity of death run through another poem, Limbs, which looks down upon manipulation based on religion, brainwashing people into carrying out violence and terrorism.

One also gets to witness the remarkable journey a woman undertakes to reclaim her identity What More Could a Girl Want. The poem showcases the plight of a woman suffering psychological abuse. By raising a her voice, she takes a step towards subverting the exploitative narrative.

The woman here is determined to work towards a better future for herself than envisaged for her by the society. The poem celebrates her courage in stepping out of the toxicity:

I am a survivor.

A phoenix reborn. (34)

The collection is a blend of joyfulness and sorrow, love and deceit, war and peace. It tells some uncomfortable truths and speaks of some undocumented memories. In a way, it nis a gateway to life, its ups and downs and its positives and negatives. The poet raises the significance of human bonds and connections, celebrating them in A Gift Precious Beyond Words:

A gift precious beyond words

Conveyed your deepest feelings

Better than words ever could

Radiating warmth and love (106)

The poem revolves around the idea of meaningful interaction, undivided attention and the joy of sharing memories. It celebrates the transformative power of observation and slowing down.

Other poems in the collection shed light on the contrast between the East and the West, exploring the clash of civilisations. They also show the impact of colonisation on Third World countries and the cultural dualities that permeate these in the so-called age of globalisation.

Nature and belief have an immensely significant role for the poet. She finds solace and healing I nature. Some of the poem are an intriguing self-examination in one’s relationship with nature and God. The poems are replete with vivid descriptions of nature; interwoven with various emotions.

Listen to the wind

Whispering across the land.

Listen

Listen hard

For it foretells of things to pass. (46)

Wasim’s delightful exploration of her world continues. Her oeuvre illuminates many hidden truths.

Listen to the Wind

Author: Nishat Wasim

Publisher: The Little Book Company, 2023

Pages: 115

Price: Rs 450

The reviewer is a lecturer in the Department of English Language and Literature at Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore