On Being Asked to Write a Poem Against the War in Vietnam

Well I have and in fact
more than one and I’ll
tell you this too

I wrote one against
Algeria that nightmare
and another against

Korea and another
against the one
I was in

and I don’t remember
how many against
the three

when I was a boy
Abyssinia Spain and
Harlan County

and not one
breath was restored
to one

shattered throat
mans womans or childs
not one not

one
but death went on and on
never looking aside

except now and then
with a furtive half-smile
to make sure I was noticing.

-Hayden Carruth

A few shairs [urdu]

Kaash meri zindagi mein tum aaye na hote,

Aankhon mein itne khuwab sajaaye na hote,

Itna dard jo mujhe tum de kar chale gaye,

Koi aya na hota tou yeh zulm dhaya na hota,

Kaash meri tanhai mujhse roothe na hote.

–Sheikha.

Waqt dhoka de gaya mujhe lekin

Tumhari yaadein abhi baaki hai

Kitni jaldi doobta hai suraj aur raat

Doob jaati hai apne hi andhere mein.

–Sheikha.

Isi andhere ujaale mein baatein ki tumse,

Jab parchai lagta tha tumhara paas hona.

–Sheikha.

Ilzaam doun bhi agar tou kis ko doun,
Meri taraf nazar kabhi huwi nahi tumhari,
Jalte hai hum khoobsurti se itna kyun,
Mujh par nazrein tiki nahi tumhari kabhi.

–Sheikha.

Ijaazat ho agar thori der aur ruk jaayun
Saari umar nikl gayi ab saansein baaki hai

–Sheikha.