Ghazal

By Shahzeb Athar

Ghazal
After Umar

A sense of wonder made plain, at Jamia
Walls of resistance covered in vain, at Jamia

Libraries shattered, dissent stifled
and then the oppressed, blamed, at Jamia

the body of revolution must hold space for empathy
so witness a willed resistance, aflame, at Jamia

My dreams are haunted by your not-being
What you left behind we did reclaim at Jamia

Architect and poet, Shahzeb Athar is currently studying Architectural and Cultural Heritage at Dessau, far away from his Beloved Delhi. When not working on his thesis, he is planning (read daydreaming about) walks in Delhi, or waxing poetic about whatever seemingly insignificant thing he lays eyes upon. He refers to himself as a Graveyard of Memories, but when asked to describe himself resorts to Ghalib couplets.

Social Handles:
Instagram: @atharshahzeb

Subscribe to our newsletter To Recieve Updates

    The Latest
    • Matchbox by Usawa October‘25 Issue

      This edition of Matchbox by Usawa explores the patterns, customs, and structures

    • The Intimate Affair Of Mortality And Disgust

      A haunting meditation on death’s intimacy, despair, and allure

    • The Room Of A Parallel World

      Sohini Sen’s The Dandelions Have It blends nature, mind, and oneness

    • The Book of Death

      A child’s surreal grief: shame, scream, and haunted theatrical silence

    You May Also Like
    • Celebrating Cancer By Vibha Rani

      Women, whether literate or not, run straight to a gynecologist—“lady doctor,” as

    • Listening to my Body – all of it by Satyen Khashu

      in this essay satyen khashu shares his journey listening to his body through the

    • Massacre on the island and Other Poems By Ashwani Kumar

      Once upon a time Refugees from faraway land arrived on the island searching

    • Accidental Worship By Madhu Kailas

      Long drawn shadows are also children of the sun Cast far away on