Saadequain poetry - without comments

 

Ultra-Short Story

 He trembled in his heart, and called after years.

She said with quivering voice: "wrong number"

Some Spouses

 Some spouses want their partner to walk behind. Frequently, they turn around and find no one!

One of the most hard hitting sentences from the English literature

“Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy”

F. Scott Fitzgerald

On Parenting

 

دو چیخیں مارو تو بیٹی۔ ‏

 

امرتا: بچے پیدا کرنا کونسا مشکل ہے ، ایک چیخ مارو تو بیٹا اور دو چیخیں مارو تو بیٹی۔

‏کیرت: بیٹی کی دفعہ دو چیخیں کیوں؟

‏امرتا: ایک چیخ درد کی اور دوسری غم کی۔

‏(امرتا پریتم) 

Viktor Frankl

 Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, used his profound Holocaust experiences to create one of history’s most impactful psychotherapy approaches – logotherapy. His harrowing journey through concentration camps significantly shaped his work and philosophy, making his life and career a testament to the human spirit’s resilience even in the darkest times.

Born in 1905, Frankl had always been fascinated by the human search for meaning. As a young psychiatrist, he believed that this quest was the central force in human life. This belief was severely tested when, in 1942, Frankl and his family were deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Later, he was transferred to Auschwitz and other camps, enduring intense suffering and the loss of his parents, wife, and siblings.

Despite the brutality, Frankl found that those who maintained a sense of meaning – even under extreme hardship – were more likely to survive. His own survival in the camps and his ability to find meaning in his suffering led him to develop logotherapy, a psychotherapy approach emphasizing the importance of finding meaning in life, regardless of circumstances.

After surviving the Holocaust, Frankl returned to Vienna and became a prominent psychiatrist, writing extensively about his experiences. His most famous work, "Man’s Search for Meaning," is a powerful account of his concentration camp experiences and insights into suffering, human resilience, and the pursuit of meaning. The book has sold millions of copies worldwide, inspiring readers to find purpose and strength in their own lives.

In logotherapy, Frankl emphasized that while we cannot control our circumstances, we can always control how we respond to them. He argued that even in the most hopeless situations, like those in the camps, individuals could find meaning by focusing on their inner strength, relationships, or a higher purpose.

Frankl’s teachings resonated deeply with people from all walks of life, offering hope and inspiration to those grappling with existential questions or trauma. He believed that discovering meaning could help individuals not only survive but thrive, even after immense suffering. His work has influenced generations of therapists, spiritual leaders, and individuals seeking to find purpose in their own lives.

Viktor Frankl’s story is one of courage, determination, and the unbreakable human spirit. Through his work, he demonstrated that even in profound suffering, we can find meaning, achieve personal growth, and attain inner peace. His legacy continues to guide those facing life’s challenges, reminding us that the search for meaning is the key to healing and survival.

Beauties and the Beasts

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Quote - Men, Women and Peace

Men settle where there is peace, women bring peace where they're treated well. 

No! I didn't

 

Sheedaa Paindo!

(Shared by a physician at a doctors' group)

Once upon a time long time ago as it was story time for grandma to tell the same story every time over and over again. But grandma this is the same story from last night. Ok then make your own story . No knowing then as child that I will make my own stories one day. So many stories that time has printed in my mind.

The story of a eucalyptus tree in neighborhoods I wanted to carve my name on it and saved my spending money to buy a knife but I couldn’t hurt the tree housing hundreds of birds and bees. But I wanted to write my own story as grandma told me every since long time ago when life nascent and air was fragrant with wild flowers.

Neighborhood was sparsely populated. Morning time was of empty street as all of us were gone for the day to schools. We all had our jute bags to carry around as sitting mats. Late afternoon was playtime kicking football and winning everything. A bunch of us kids had our neighborhood to ourselves and no one from across the railroad tracks could come and play with us. We believed we were a superior class and didn’t want those inferior kids to play with us.

And then there was Sheeda Paindo.

He did not want to play with us and we didn’t care . He told us that Bashir Bhai told him not to play with us. Bashir Bhai was a lorry driver and we his hero but meant nothing to us the superiors. Sheeda was a skin head and a silly smile the hallmark of his face. We all went to the same school and after fifth he was gone and we did not miss him and his silly smile. He was inferior to us and not worth anything anyway. Life unfolding and time had its own story,, our own stories  Our gang was dispersed and we had our fate and destinies to follow.

All of us went our ways and I forgot to carve my name on the eucalyptus tree. I gave my pride possession, my knife to my younger brother. It made him happy and I didn’t want it anymore.

From Nishtar to New York was journey of hopes and dreams. Of trials and tears. Of torture of residency to triumph of making it happen.

Life had come a long way from dusty streets to glory of life.

My grandma was old and I had to see her one last time before her sunset . I wanted to hug her one last time that I was a big doctor in America. She did not know what America was and told me to come home to old street but I had my destiny and dreams to live. I had to write my own story like she used to tell me every night, make your story.

I needed a car visit her. Where can I rent a car ? You remember Sheedaa Paindo? He owns a rental car business. My jaw dropped. I must see him now and ask for a discount. My met him in his office. He was sitting in a stuffed chair and I was offered a cold drink out of a box. He was happy to see me and offered me a car rent free for the rest of my stay.

Thanks Bhai Sheedaa for the offer.

No Sheeda , I am Chaudhary Abdul Rasheed.

There was no silly smile on his face.

How life balance itself!

 

How we mature

 

Vestis virum facit

 I am not one of those for various reasons, but its nice to be well-dressed.

In Latin they says: "Vestis virum facit" 

means, clothes make the man

Fleas

 (shared by a colleague)

An old colleague in the residency days used to quip: "We internists are like fleas!" 

" How so?" I asked. 

"Well. When the patient is dying, and while we fleas preside over the death of the patient! We general internists, cardiologists, nephrologists, and infectious disease specialists are the only ones hanging around! The surgeons are first to sign off when they see a dying patient, the GI guy, after having scoped up and down, is nowhere to be found! The Family Doc mourns the loss of a patient from the practice, while the hospital admin celebrates fewer losses from the DRG."

(unfortunately, the way healthcare has evolved in USA, I have to agree with this).

Tolstoy says

 

Shareef Khokhy Walla

(Shared by a physician at one of the WhatsApp group)

It was always a drag everyday in summer time.

All my friends were gone for summer holidays visiting far away cities. Innocent letters were exchanged from far away places with strange names and silly stories, Occasionally a photo with a pride possession of a bicycle.

It was a small town and street were empty and silent. But there was a library with newspapers and ceiling fans. A water cooler in the shadow of old brick walls.

The Liberarian with a sullen face was always stuck in a chair next the reading room. Those were the times to seek refuge from hot sun and dusty streets. That was shade and shelter with lots of books .

What a hidden treasure.

First thing in the morning was to go nearby Khokha owned by Shareef Khokhay Wala, a watering hole in the morning to get a quart of yogurt with thick creamy layer of the top to be swiped on way home. A quick breakfast with lassi and prathaa was swallowed and morning cool evaporated by fiery sunshine. Next chor was to the bazaar  crossing over the railway tracks to pick up fresh vegetables from Abdullah Jan who always added free green peppers and coriander. On way back home a stop at Khokha was a  must for bottled soda and tiny bite of Barrfee the best in town and alway in short supply. Shared was a tall bulky guy and had gentle demeanor.

I had secretly account for my special treat depending on prices of vegetables to hide my little quarters hidden from my mother quoting higher prices. My mother never questioned the daily values of prices, she knew it all along but never questioned. Lunch was always on time as near by tandoor had time limit and I was the  guy to do it right…,always one roti short , one disappear mysteriously on way home.

One day I left home to go to Nishtar , never to go back home.

Every once in a while I visited home on vacations always had my bottle of soda and bite of barrier but now Shareef refused to accept any money because I was a Doctor Saab.

Many year later I met him in Queens , NY.

Shareef Saab , I did not pay you for last treat , I owe it to you. He smiled and said he remembered.

Time has vanished like fog after sunrise but I still remember Shareef Khokhay Wala.

Practice!

 

Evolution

 

Decisions

 

From the eye of a woman

‏منو بھائی کہتے ہیں "ایک عورت میرے پاس آئی جس کی آنکھیں سوجی ہوئی تھیں بے چاری روتی رہی ہو گی. اس نے کہا کہ ایک بچے کی گمشدگی کی خبر دینی ہے. اس نے کہا: چھ سال کا ہے، سات سال کا، محمد انور نام ہے اس کا.

میں نے کہا کپڑے کیسے پہنے ہوئے ہیں؟ اس نے بتایا کہ نیلے رنگ کی قمیض ہے ‏ہوائی چپل ہے۔ میں کہا شلوار؟ اس نے کہا کہ سفید، مگر اب تو میلی ہو گئی ہو گی.

اُس عورت کی اس بات سے میرے ذہن میں ایک عجیب سی بات آئی کہ اگر اس بچے کا باپ ہوتا اور خبر لکھواتا تو اُس نے سفید شلوار ہی لکھوانی تھی. لیکن ماں کیوں کہ اُسے روزانہ دُھلی ہوئی شلوار پہناتی ہوگی، تو اسے اس بات کا ‏احساس ہے. اس لیے اگر بہن بھی ہوتی تو یہی کہتی کہ اب تو میلی ہو چکی ہو گی. اس سے مجھے یہ احساس ہوا کہ عورت اور طرح سوچتی ہے مرد اور طرح سوچتا ہے.

ماں اور طرح سوچتی ہے بہن اور طرح سوچتی ہے، باپ اور بھائی اور طرح سوچتے ہیں.

اس بات نے مجھے ایک نیا احساس دیا کہ چیزوں کو اور ‏حالات کو عورت کی نگاہ سے دیکھنا بھی بہت اہم ہے.

یہ شاید ٹراٹسکی نے کہیں لکھا ہے کہ

"If you wan to change the situation, look at the situation with the eye of a woman".  

VULTURE: THE DIRTY, UGLY BIRD THAT SAVES THE WORLD

In Nigeria, if a vulture lands on your roof?

People gather.

They point.

They hiss.

They shout, “Ayeee! Evil has landed!”

Some will even call native doctor.

Others will fast and pray.

Why?

Because someone’s uncle once said vultures are messengers of death.

Even literatures demonize vultures.

But what if I told you….

That the same bird we fear…

The same one we call dirty and demonic…

Is the reason we haven’t all died from disease?

Stay with me.

Let’s meet the misunderstood janitor of the wild:

VULTURES EAT DEAD THINGS… AND THAT’S WHAT KEEPS US ALIVE.

They eat carcasses.

Rotten meat.

Decaying animals.

The things no other animal touches.

But what if they didn’t?

If vultures disappeared today—

Diseases like anthrax, rabies, and botulism would rise.

Because that goat that died by the roadside?

Flies will feed.

Maggots will grow.

Bacteria will multiply.

And before you know it?

Death will enter the food chain.

It will enter the air.

It will enter us.

But vultures step in…

No complaint.

No applause.

They eat the death so that we can live.

Lesson?

Sometimes, your calling will take you to dirty places.

Unseen. Uncelebrated.

But if you don’t do it, the world will rot.

Not every hero wears perfume.

Some carry a stink… so others can smell nice.

VULTURE STOMACHS CAN KILL CHOLERA.

Their digestive system is so acidic, It can dissolve bacteria that would kill humans instantly.

They turn poison into peace.

Lesson?

Not everything that enters your life is meant to destroy you.

Some people have developed spiritual stomachs—

That turn betrayal into wisdom.

Pain into purpose.

Loss into leadership.

Your hardship is not your handicap.

It may be your hidden healing power.

VULTURES ARE LOYAL.

They mate for life.

One partner.

One mission.

One commitment.

Even when that partner dies—

They don’t just “move on” like nothing happened.

They mourn.

They isolate.

They grieve.

They understand what it means to love deeply.

Lesson?

Loyalty is not old school.

It is rare. Sacred. Needed.

In a world of situationships and betrayals—

Be the one who stays true.

Be the one who loves with honor.

VULTURES FLY WITHOUT FLAPPING.

They have one of the largest wingspans in the sky.

Yet they rarely flap their wings.

They ride the wind.

While other birds are sweating with every flap…

The vulture glides.

Majestic.

Patient.

Effortless.

Lesson?

You don’t have to hustle like a headless chicken.

You can study your season.

And rise with grace.

Movement is not always progress.

Learn to wait for your wind.

VULTURES HAVE NO VOICE.

Yes.

They can’t sing.

They can’t chirp.

They make hisses and grunts. That’s all.

In a world where parrots and nightingales get all the attention…

The vulture thrives in silence.

Lesson?

You don’t have to be loud to be legendary.

VULTURES DON’T KILL, THEY RESTORE.

They don’t hunt.

They wait for what has died.

Then they clean it up.

Nature’s final responders.

While lions roar and eagles hunt—

Vultures restore balance.

Lesson?

You don’t have to be aggressive to be effective.

Some of us are not fighters.

We are healers.

We are restorers.

We are the ones that enter after the damage—

And pick up the pieces.

And that role?

Is just as sacred.

SO, WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM THE VULTURE?

 Some blessings smell bad at first.

But if you can look deeper, they might just be your saving grace.

 Do the dirty work.

The world doesn’t need more perfect people. It needs more courageous cleaners.

 Wait for your wind.

Learn the rhythm of grace.

 Loyalty is still gold to one partner. 

 You don’t need to be loud.

Let your silence shake the world.

People may mock you now.

But one day…

When the air smells sweeter…

And the sickness is gone…

They will look back and realize:

It was your wings that saved them.

So rise.

Even if they don’t clap.

Even if they misunderstand.

Rise anyway.

VULTURES ARE DISAPPEARING… AND IT’S A GLOBAL EMERGENCY.

Marriage

 The fruits of marriage are only for those who hang on to it.

Sandra Bullock

 Sandra Bullock once said something powerful:

“There are moments when the urge to strike back is strong—to return every insult, every act of cruelty. But then I pause. I look deeper. I see their lives, their struggles, and I realize… life has already dealt them its share of battles.”

Not every war needs words.

Sometimes, silence is the most powerful response.

Because in the end, we all give what we carry inside.

I choose not to mirror their hurt—I choose to move forward.

Let others be consumed by bitterness. I’ll walk with peace.

‏اس کے مسیحا کے لیے ایک نظم

‏اجنبی!

‏کبھی زندگی میں اگر تواکیلا ہو

‏اور درد حد سے گزر جائے

‏آنکھیں تری

‏با ت بے بات رورو پڑیں

‏تب کوئی اجنبی

‏تیر ی تنہائی کے چاند کا نرم ہالہ بنے

‏تیری قامت کا سایہ بنے

‏تیرے زخموں پہ مرہم رکھے

‏تیری پلکوں سے شبنم چُنے

‏تیرے دُکھ کا مسیحا بنے!

‏پروین شاکر

Raising kids

 You can raise kids by being more quiet than holding on to everything!

Questioning age and wisdom..

 I'm not sure that age brings wisdom. I see more evil, fights, wars, and killings by older people than by young people!

(one comment made during all the wars happening around the world)

Firaq and Sahir

جب ساحر لدھیانوی کی نظم "تاج محل" بہت مشہور ہوئی تو ایک عشائیے پر فراق کی ساحر سے ملاقات ہوئی۔ آپ نے ساحر سے کہا:

بھئی تم نے آثار قدیمہ پر کیا خوب لکھا ہے کہ:

اک شہنشاہ نے دولت کا سہارا لے کر

ہم غریبوں کی محبت کا اڑایا ہے مذاق

میری محبوب کہیں اور ملا کر مجھ سے

اسے تعریف سمجھ کر ساحر نے شکریہ کہا تو فراق بولے:

ایسا کرو اب جامع مسجد دہلی پر بھی ایسا کچھ لکھ ڈالو۔

اک شہنشاہ نے دولت کا سہارا لے کر

ہم غریبوں کی عبادت کا اڑایا ہے مذاق

میرے معبود کہیں اور ملا کر مجھ سے

(انتخاب کلام فراق گورکھپوری" مرتبہ پروفیسر ساجد علی صدیقی)

Dirty Plate

 

Israeli Historian Tom Segev on Zionism

This is a remarkable piece of writing from a credible historian, in the last leg of his life. 

"We need to remember that the majority of the Holocaust survivors did not come to live in Israel and that the majority of Jews in the world are not coming to Israel. Zionism is not such a great success story. It also doesn't provide security to Jews. It's safer for Jews to live outside Israel."

Full article here: https://archive.md/NOrTF

beautiful poetry

 

Arundhati Roy says

 “To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.”

Arundhati Roy, The Cost of Living 

Classic Godfather

This one quote tells you why The Godfather was considered a classic on friendship and the brutal lessons of life.

 

 

La!

 

Sean Connery - last days

 (one of my most fav actors) 

In 2020, Sean Connery spent most of his time in the Bahamas, away from the noise of the industry he had long since left behind. Living in a peaceful estate on New Providence Island, he preferred long walks by the sea, slow breakfasts in the garden, and classical music in the evening. His health had been declining steadily since 2017, when early signs of memory loss and limited mobility began to affect his independence. Yet, even as age took hold, Connery remained composed and dignified, choosing silence over struggle in public.

His wife, Micheline Roquebrune, stood by him every step of the way. Married since 1975, she became more than a partner. Through the quiet, fading chapters, she was his voice, protector, and daily companion. Their home had no constant stream of visitors, only the occasional presence of close family, his son Jason, some grandchildren, and a few longtime friends from his early theater days. Connery did not crave attention or nostalgia. What he craved was calm.

He began his days early, often rising with the first light, sitting by the open terrace, listening to the breeze rustling the palm trees. A caregiver helped with routines such as bathing, dressing, and gentle exercises to ease his stiffness. After breakfast, he often listened to jazz or read from his old collection of Robert Louis Stevenson books. He rarely discussed his past work. But when he did, he spoke about "The Untouchables" and "The Name of the Rose" with a sense of satisfaction. Those roles, he believed, had let him show something deeper than charm or strength.

As his condition worsened in 2019, communication became more difficult. He drifted in and out of clarity, sometimes staring for minutes before replying, sometimes waking up in the night disoriented. But the moments he recognized Micheline were beautiful. He would squeeze her hand, murmur French phrases they used in their younger days, or smile faintly at an old photo on the bedside table. In those moments, time folded in on itself, and the man who once stood tall as James Bond softened into someone deeply human.

He never liked hospitals. Even as he needed more assistance, he refused to be moved to any facility. "If I go," he once whispered to Micheline in early 2020, "I go from home." That became the unspoken rule. Nurses were hired for round-the-clock care, but his environment remained familiar, filled with sunlight, ocean air, and jazz echoing from the living room.

By the summer of 2020, Connery could no longer walk on his own. He was bedridden, his voice barely a whisper, his eyes often shut even when he was awake. Yet, on certain days, he reached for Micheline’s hand with surprising strength or nodded gently when Jason read aloud from one of his screenplays. These small gestures carried deep emotion. When asked once by his granddaughter what he missed most, he answered with a pause and then said, “Rain in Scotland.”

On October 31, 2020, at the age of 90, he passed away in his sleep, with Micheline sitting beside him, her hand resting on his. The house was quiet, filled only with the sounds of wind through the open windows and soft jazz playing from an old radio. Hours before, he had stirred briefly, opened his eyes, looked at Micheline and said, “You gave me peace.”

His final words were soft and clear, a whisper that held a lifetime of meaning. There were no flashing cameras, no crowd of mourners. Just family, love, and silence.

In his last days, Sean Connery embraced simplicity, love, and quiet far from the spotlight he once ruled.

EVERY TIME YOU SLEEP WITH A WOMAN, YOU TRANSFER POWER

 (Found on Facebook) (partially agree)

EVERY TIME YOU SLEEP WITH A WOMAN, YOU TRANSFER POWER — WHO'S WINNING?

A Brutal Post About How Careless Sex Is Weakening Men More Than They Realize

Most men don’t understand this…Sex is not just physical. It’s transactional. It’s spiritual. It’s energetic.

Every time you have s*x, especially as a man, Something leaves you. You’re either building your strength or draining it. You’re either transferring power or receiving poison. When you climax as a man, you don’t just release semen —

You release life force. The same drive that builds empires, creates inventions, and conquers nations — You’re releasing it into random women you don’t even respect. And you wonder why you feel tired, foggy, unmotivated…

Check your body count.

Some women carry peace. Some carry confusion. Some carry grace. Others carry destruction.

But when you’re lust-driven, you’ll sleep with anything in a skirt — And wonder why your life is going backward. Sex doesn’t just feel good. It plants seeds. You might be planting vision into the wrong soil.

That’s not just about sperm — it’s about power. The more careless you are with your sexual energy, the weaker your focus, your discipline, and your drive become.

Any man can chase women, but a real man controls himself. You may think it’s just a quickie, but you don’t know what demons she’s carrying.

Your greatest distractions will often be curves. If you’re not smart, you’ll trade your future for thighs. Every time you finish inside the wrong woman, you finish a part of your ambition.

The Strongest Men Aren’t the Most Sexually Active—they’re the Most Disciplined. Do you know what turns a man into a king? Not money, not women, but control. When you can master your urges, you can master your life.

If your penis controls you, You are not a man — you are a slave with WiFi.

Stop Empowering Women Who Do Nothing but Drain You. You’re investing your masculine power into a human distraction. And wondering why you're stagnant?

Before You Enter Her Body, Ask Yourself: What am I entering into? Is this going to elevate me or destroy me? Am I giving my power to a queen — or a crisis? Because every sexual act is not just about pleasure — It’s an agreement.

BOTTOM LINE: You’re a king. Stop acting like a stray dog. Preserve your energy. Value your seed. Respect your mission. Because every time you have sex, you transfer power.

War

 

Confession

After my first divorce, I was freaking out and was psychologically in a hurry to marry again.

Family friends introduced us to each other. He was a pretty average desi guy with a mediocre income. He was married once before to an Afro-American girl and had one daughter whom he met every weekend. I never asked, but I assume he married her for a Green Card.

Very soon after our marriage, I realized I couldn't live with this generic desi person! All of my evils came out. I didn't have any justification to call off the marriage. What I did was start behaving nasty to his mother. As I planned and suspected, he could not take my (nastiest of) nasty behavior with his mother. He divorced me! My plan worked.

But till today, I was unable to forgive myself. Once all evils lose suppression, a human can do anything - like what I did to his poor simple desi mother in everyday matters of life.

I don't even wish an enemy to put bare all evils when relationships are not working. It becomes very satanic.

You can't bite water

 

(only)Observe

 

Belong

 

Mushkileñ mujh par paḌīñ itnī ki āsāñ ho gaiiñ

 

Purpose

As Ralph Waldo Emerson says: "“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

 

Ye kaun hai jo mere saath saath rehta hai!

 

Quote

Being a physician, from medical school days, I had to let go a lot of social pleasures, weddings, parties and events. Now it does not even bother me. It still reminds me a quote by one senior physician when we started clinical rotations in med school: 

"A cat that dreams to be a lion must first lose its appetite for rats"

Him and Her