By Naseer Ahmad

10 April 2001  

Distances sometimes sharpen the sentiments of love. And love in turn gives birth to great literature and philosophical thoughts. Its expression cannot be confined to the cliched idioms, such as wavy locks, gazelle eyes, rosy cheeks, velvet lips and slender figure. Love can manifest itself more creatively through a muse; poetry being one of its favourite outlets.

A scientist with a PhD from England's Surrey University and now living in the United States, Dr Mohammad Afzal Shahid is being haunted by the loving memories of his native land. So much so that every time he looks back, he hears only one message: murr ghar aa (come back home). But, instead of getting petrified, he leaves a fresher footprint on his track of Punjabi poetry. Murr ghar aa, with about four dozen beautiful ghazals and nazms, is his second collection. It is indeed a valuable addition to the enchanting contemporary Punjabi poetry.

As a breather amid his tightly-packed hours of scientific research and invention at the Bell Laboratories in Georgia, he seeks satisfaction in expressing himself in poetry. At times he is just sad and at others he sheds tears profusely:

Chham chham akhion neer wagan pai dum dum yadan khhayyey, wichhri koonj udar assan asseen kallam kallay lehyey

(Tears drop from my eyes like a shower as I land alone, missing the merry flock of swans I was once part of.)

The title of the collection epitomises the poet's inner desire. One of his poems also bears the same title.

Wikna-ain galian chowk bazaar, Shahid bhulia-ain murr ghar aa (You are offering yourself for sale at every crossroads, Shahid, come back home.)

How dearly he cherishes the memories of his homeland is evident from an episode of his childhood that he narrates in the preface. He says that once he was taking a cow to the veterinary doctor and found the animal difficult to control. The cow, fearful for its child's safety, was straining at the rope to follow its new-born calf which was frolicking here and there. A passing by village sage realized his problem and gave him a useful piece of advice: "boy, hold the calf if you want to control the cow," he said.

The author takes inspiration from the sufi poets, such as Bulleh Shah and Waris Shah when writing his ghazals and verses. Living amid the glamourous glitter that the American lifestyle entails, he continues to be charmed by the pristine love of Hir and Ranjha. But he is not unaware of the contemporary themes. Characters from the folklore frequently surface in this collection, whom he uses as a means to deliver certain messages that are relevant to our times.

The unhappy and tragic situations in Pakistan make him sad. He laments violence and the communal frenzy that raises its ugly head here off and on. He beseeches the religious leaders to promote harmony and not to fan hatred. He deplores the double standards of the United States and the United Nations while dealing with the Third World countries. He questions the usefulness of the United Nations where a few countries enjoy the veto power and trample at will over the rights of the poor members of the world body.

At the same time, he hits out at the double standards of society back home:

Changa koan janey beebe changian noon

lakhan hoan salam talangian noon

(Who considers good the meek and the humble. Everybody salutes the bully.)

One of the most appealing aspects of his craft is the use of resounding pairs of words. At places these pairs are calculated and planned, at others they seem to come just off the cuff. Thus, Bulleh Shah's reflection is conspicuous throughout this collection. Although he has used varying lengths of rhyme, he seems to relish the shorter ones. At several places he reminds the reader of the old established truths and presents his own point in their light:

Gajjan wallay wasday naeen

Hijr satayey hasday naeen

(Clouds that thunder seldom burst into rain. Those pained by separation, rarely laugh.)