I have in front of me, a beautiful and enchanting new book of poetry The Trees Know Me by Rabail Baloch, a poet based in Lahore. It is not very often that I come across a collection of English poetry by a young Pakistani woman but whenever that happens it is a refreshing and encouraging experience.

Baloch’s choice in deciding to express herself in poetry and the finesse she had achieved are commendable. As we all know, life is all about expression and performance. The way one expresses oneself is the only way to announce to the world, “I have faced life and I have lived it to the fullest.”

The book clearly reflects that Baloch is not an ordinary poet, she is also an artist with a keen eye, a spiritualist and a nature lover with a sensitive heart.

“They told me to live like a candle/ which burns itself to give light to others/ they forgot to tell me/ that if I burned too bright/ I would not last so long”

It seems to me that it’s not her who has chosen poetry as her mode of expression, but poetry that has chosen her.

“I’ve learnt/ that gratitude doesn’t come at once/ It has to be planted like a seed/ in the soil of your soul/ It needs hope like sunshine and compassion like water/ It takes all four seasons to grow.”

She writes from her heart and pours her soul out on paper, with an inbuilt rhythm and meaningful concepts. She is at a stage of life, where a young heart desires beautiful, colourful occurrences and dares to tread the unexplored walkway of life with courage and excitement. Yet, her subjects are quite diverse. Her craft knows no boundaries.

“I don’t know if we are done/ or if there is a tiny part of it, that you still hold onto/ Something you still haven’t forgotten or forgiven/ Because how can I let go of it all,/ unless I’m sure/ that I don’t owe you anything, anymore!”

She feels deeply for the tragedies her tender heart witnesses on a daily basis. The recent plane crash in Karachi and the depressing, confining mental agony brought on by the Covid days do not escape her attention. She is a keen observer of the world and the people around her and feels compelled to use them as subjects in her poetic expression.

“I could say it was all for a reason/ that we don’t understand/ And though out of our sights/ they are all in a better place, but sometimes/ it’s better to look grief in the eye/ with all its blood-spattered messiness/ To accept the bitter truth/ with all its disturbing ugliness/ and admit that it’s sad/ it’s sad that we’ll forget about it/ Sooner or later”

I wish her all the success in her future endeavours. I am sure, that even if at this point in her career only the trees know her, there will be a time when the whole world will. Kudos, young lady.

The Trees Know Me

Author: Rabail Baloch

Publisher: Sareer

Publications

Pages: 120

Price: Rs 500

The reviewer is a short story writer and a novelist