Cry of Heaven 1972

Cry of Heaven 1972

Dr Agha Inamullah Khan

Had you no fears!

Executing me my dears

Father and uncles

Brothers and cousins

All of you came,

and with one go

Pulled your triggers,

you took my soul

Did your  hands not tremble?

Dear brother
Raising the gun at your own sister
Had you no sense!
Had you no love!

How could you be so cruel sweet cousin?

Dragging your childhood friend's coffin

How I begged all of you, oh! dear cha cha

I went with with him in "Shariat Nikkah"

But none of you ever listened to me

Not even you! Daddy

You were my only hope

 

With you I felt so safe

But you!

You left there no sign

Not even that of my grave

I was not just only me

I was carrying a new flowerer being nourished inside me

How could you bear to see me die?

Mommy thinks I am still alive

Please tell her the truth, do not lie

If to love

And being loved

Is such a crime

Then I curse you all

One by one

You too will have your time.

This poem was sent to a Poetry competition on BBC Radio back in 1985, and it made it to short list of Best 50 out of more than three thousand poems received from around the World. It reflects still ongoing tradition of Karoo Kari (honor killings of women) in Sindh & Baluchistan in Pakistan. The author claimed to have written it through using Ouija board talking to the spirit of one such victim. It’s a true story.