A.A. Malik is an established writer published in a range of media. Initially a reluctant poet her poetry can now be found in anthologies and journals, exploring the themes of spirituality, motherhood, and identity, with a focus on multi-sense belonging.
When not writing, she can usually be found drinking (or spilling) tea, learning to read hieroglyphs or sweeping legs in a dojo. Find more about the author at www.aamalikauthor.com
Unchained
She sits, pulling up daisies, one by one,
soldier-chains forming, peace-flags shining in the sun.
More flowers sway gently in the breeze
Kafan-white dots across fields of living green,
copious symbols of all the fallen men
when turmoil raged around them,
soldiers cast into Hell
asking, for whom comes the toll of the bell?
Left foot, right foot, no man’s land
destruction of life is hard to understand.
no time for arrogance, no space for pride,
Azrael descends, taking souls from each side.
She sits, pulling up buttercups, one by one,
soldier-chains breaking, gold glinting in the sun.
More flowers sway gently in the breeze
Pyrite-yellow dots across fields of living green,
like many of hers in the Burma campaign,
one of them caught, escaped, then captured again
finally escaping, he found freedom then,
not with the sword, but through the pen.
Ripped from the womb of the motherland
loss of life is hard to understand.
no time for arrogance, no space for pride,
Azrael descends, taking souls from each side,
the only sounds left are echoes of cries.
She joins forget-me-nots, one by one,
memory-chains forming, never to come undone.
More peace-flags lay, gently swaying in the breeze
true-blue dots across fields of living green,
copious symbols of all the fallen men
who paved the way for those after them,
South Asian soldiers, martyrs for the cause,
we remember all of those who fought in the wars.
A.A. Malik
Dedicated to every one of my many relatives who fought in WWII with the Allied forces, many of whom were deployed to Burma. Dedicated also to every commonwealth soldier of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh who risked, or gave, their lives and are often overlooked by history.
Photo Credits:
All Imperial War Museum Images: © Crown copyright reproduced under delegated authority from The Keeper of Public Records.
IWM (H 21605); IWM (NYP 15766); IWM (E 1218).
Royal Indian Army Cops prepare their tents, groundsheets and blankets. 1942 (H 21605)
Fire: fredrikwandem via Pixabay : Image: IWM (TR 65682B)
Daisies: congerdesign via Pixabay
THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST: THE BURMA CAMPAIGN 1941-1945 (NYP 15766) The Campaign in North and Central Burma February 1944 – August 1945: A well armed patrol of American led Burmese guerrillas crossing a river in central Burma. Copyright: © IWM.
Buttercups: Nennieinszweidrei via Pixabay
THE BRITISH INDIAN ARMY ON ERITREAN FRONTIER, 1940 (E 1218) A camel patrol of the Sudanese Defence Force, attached to the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade, ready for action in the field near Abu Derrisa in Sudan, 22 November 1940. Copyright: © IWM.
Forget-me-nots: mariya_m via Pixabay
Hands and Doves: NoName_13 via Pixabay