Sarmad Sehbai praises The Missing Prayer by Ammar Aziz, “It is perhaps his ultimate prayer offered to the muses. Here, ordinary things morph into metaphors bursting with a matrix of meanings. This book is a sensory blend of the profane and the sacred, expressed in a distinct and authentic South Asian voice.”

Aziz’s debut poetry collection, The Missing Prayer, presents a series of multi-layered poems that immediately draw readers in. The poet mourns the loss of his grandfather’s unpublished poetry, a casualty of the heart-wrenching Partition. This collection serves as a tribute to all that has been lost over the decades – South Asian mythology, culture, language, emotion, history and, of course, love. Through his verses, the poet seeks to capture and preserve the fossilisation of unrequited experiences.

“We burst into tears

When the world seemed to change

Due to our minor actions”

— We Burst into Tears

Ammar Aziz is a poet, literary translator and award-winning filmmaker from Lahore. His poetry has been published in several leading literary journals and widely anthologised. A recent inclusion was in Penguin’s Greening the Earth and The Red River Book of Erotic Poetry. His work has been translated into several languages.

Aziz was a participant in the writer-in-residence fellowship at Akademie Schloss Solitude and was recently accepted for the University of East Anglia’s master’s programme in creative writing.

As a filmmaker, his acclaimed feature-length documentaries, A Walnut Tree and Discount Worker, have been showcased at major film festivals worldwide. His work has received numerous accolades, including the FIPRESCI Award, the Grand Prix at the Moscow International Documentary Film Festival, and the Prix Monde en Regards at the Jean Rouch International Film Festival.

Aziz writes, “Growing up in Lahore in the 1990s, I had never seen an ocean. But some of my earliest memories include a visit to the Ravi. I recall her waters brimming with life. The city, unlike the river, was calm and slow-paced. The air wasn’t toxic.” To fully appreciate the depth and beauty of his writing, one must read the preface closely. His work, intense and moving, revolves around memories of his childhood. The metaphors he employs are drawn from everyday life, lending his poetry a sense of intimacy and authenticity.

The book is divided into ten sections. The poet begins by reflecting on his most intimate experience – the “sheer meaninglessness” that defines his neighbourhood. While preserving the sanctity of the Pakistani idiom, Aziz strives to convey universal themes through his artistic expression. This is evident in the poem How Well Do You Speak Urdu, My Love? that encapsulates his unique linguistic and cultural sensibilities.

“It is a language

With the fragrance

Of rose water.

…

The liquid you dip

Your dough in

Isn’t just ‘sugary syrup’

— It’s chaashni.”

The poet’s use of indigenous idioms serves as a soulful thread weaving together the past and present, carrying the essence of culture across time. These expressions are more than mere words – they are echoes of history, preserving the spirit of a people in the most intimate and heartfelt way. His skill lies in conveying profound ideas with an exemplary command of language and a masterful economy of words.

The Missing Prayer subtly challenges patriarchal norms, making the reading experience both thought-provoking and deeply engaging. The poet’s skilful comparison and contrast of nature with the feminine is particularly commendable, as his poems seem to grow organically from natural elements, which serve as powerful symbols and metaphors.

“We run and find

The earthly scent

Of lavender and peepal leaves,

Ground with the dust

Of kin…”

— This Mud is Our Foremothers’ Blood

At various points, one notices a departure from conventional poetic form and style. By breaking away from linear structures, the poet effectively conveys the heightened sense of ambiguity in the modern world. The juxtaposition of opposites – such as “snow and fire” or “despair and desire” – is another defining feature of his work. Aziz’s sensitivity to the unsung and unheard melodies of life finds its expression in his poetry, transforming silence into verse.

An entire section is dedicated to Raag Mala, comprising six poems, each named after a raga from the daytime cycle. For instance, Todi is an early morning raga, setting the tonal quality of the collection. Throughout the book, repetition is employed as a tool to reinforce ideas, creating a rhythmic flow. As one reads on, it feels as if the poet is playing a musical instrument, allowing his melody to resonate deeply in the mind and soul of his audience.

Here’s an excerpt from Todi for instance,

“In the morning

my mother becomes a forest

whose trees are engraved

with an ancient language,

which can only be spoken

by a stringed instrument

that lets you slide

from one note

to another.”

Raag Mala beautifully demonstrates how music can serve as a powerful vehicle for emotion. Each poem in this section feels like a note in a large composition, telling its own story while contributing to an overarching rhythm that resonates with the heart. It is a journey where every melodic expression draws the reader, evoking emotions that words alone sometimes cannot.

By embedding rich, evocative phrases in his poetry, Ammar Aziz creates a bridge between generations, allowing ancient wisdom and stories to breathe anew into the modern world. In an era where cultural heritage is easily lost or diluted, these idioms transcend language – they become a living testimony to indigenous identity.

The Missing Prayer

Author: Ammar Aziz

Publisher: Aks Publications

Pages: 135

Price: Rs 1,500/-

The reviewer is a lecturer at the Department of English Language and Literature,