Two Poems by Rafia Bukhari

Be a Trend Setter

Rather than the rising one

The setting sun is better 

Every problem will be solved

If you are a firm believer in God

Once I was abandoned on the shore

An unknown path was just before

Don't dishearten those people

Who opt for the less chosen path

Rather than trudging the same way

Isn't it better to build a new dale?

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Like a Pearl

Around me lies a pile of empty, frozen words

One by one, they are flying like birds

All words have fallen apart.

It has shattered an already cracked heart.

I'm as clear as a crystal

Neither any layer nor a single freckle.

Those who didn't deserve my respect,

Even I gave them more than their state.

In return, I received that I didn't expect.

Waste not your words with them,

Who are deprived of a sense of shame.

Silence is the best answer for them,

If you inherit the heart of a gem.

It is easy to forgive and relieve,

But neither trust again nor believe.

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- Rafia Bukhari

Pakistan

Biography:-

Rafia Bukhari, an English-language poetess and writer from Pakistan. Born on June 15 in Larkana Sindh. She is the second English writer from Larkana, following in the footsteps of Fatima Bhutto. Her two English poetry books, "The Painful Payment" (2021) and "A Flight of Broken Wings" (2023), have already been published. Despite the limited English readership in the region, her books have been well-received. Her poetry often draws inspiration from the natural world, particularly the setting sun. Most of her poems are representative inner conflict that leads to self-discovery. 

In addition, she has translated forty to fifty stories in English. Some of these translations have already been published, with more to follow soon. Currently, she is pursuing her MPhil in English at Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, focusing on the English translations of Shah Abdul Bhittai's Risalo.