Afroze Fatima Zaidi
“In Neez Bogzarad”
In Farsi they say ‘in neez bogzarad’.
This, too, will pass, right? But what about the
Pieces of you that it takes when it leaves?
While you are still in the middle of it,
What about the way in which it gnaws at,
Eats into, your soul? It doesn’t go by
Without disturbance, like a ladybird
Through blades of tall grass, or with discipline,
In an orderly fashion, like water
Flowing through a pipe. It consumes. It takes
Parts of you with it. Biting off whole chunks
Of your existence, which may mend, in time,
But the scars remain ever visible.
A reminder of what’s now in the past,
What’s now passed, but left you completely changed.
You know you’ll never be as you once were.
But can you ever become whole again?
This may pass, but when? And even when it
Does, how much of you, what scraps, will be left?
About the writer:
Afroze is a single mum, writer and editor who resides in Birmingham, United Kingdom. She employs a simple, relatable style and likes to draw inspiration from her personal experiences. Afroze aims to express her interest in Eastern cultures and languages, as well as her Pakistani and Muslim heritage, in her writing.
Image: Diana of Ephesus and the Slaves by Giulio Aristide Sartorio (1860-1932). Oil on canvas. 304 x 421 cm. Between 1895 and 1899. Public domain.
