Two Poems by Saeeda Akhtar

The Unvoiced Embrace

Love is a whisper the soul understands,
A silent touch, like waves on sands.
No words are spoken, yet hearts confide,
Bound by a bond no force can divide.

It flows like rivers, calm yet deep,
A promise unbroken, a vow to keep.
No need for voices, no need for sound,
In quiet glances, love is found.

The moon may rise, the stars may gleam,
Yet love shines brighter than any dream.
It speaks in echoes of the past,
A song unchained, a truth steadfast.

Through time and tide, through joy and pain,
It whispers softly, again and again.
No language known, no script is read,
Yet love is felt, where souls are wed.

A look, a sigh, a touch so light,
A spark that turns the dark to bright.
No distance great, no storm too strong,
For love’s sweet silence sings so long.

Two hearts that beat, though miles apart,
Yet share one soul, one breath, one heart.
□

Brushstrokes of you  

I had a thought, then paused midway,
A dream that dared to drift away.
To leave this life, to start anew,
With only art and only you.

I'd leave my work, I'd leave my land,
With your soft fingers in my hand.
To a distant place where dreams take flight,
Where love and colors blend with light.

A studio bathed in golden hue,
Each canvas whispering thoughts of you.
No other face, no other eyes,
Just you beneath the endless skies.

"Why only me?" you gently ask,
As if love were a fleeting mask.
But sometimes souls like oceans grow,
Vast and deep in endless flow.

No other muse, no other sight,
Could match your warmth, your soul's own light.
For in your gaze, the world appears,
A masterpiece of love and years.
□
- Saeeda Akhtar 
Pakistan 

Saeeda Akhtar, born on November 29 in Lahore, Pakistan, is a distinguished poet, writer, translator, and academic. She holds a Master's in Urdu from the University of Punjab and professor at Queen Mary College, Lahore. Her poetry and short stories have been featured in leading literary magazines such as Funoon and Beyaz, and translated into Arabic, English, Spanish, and Serbian. Recipient of numerous national and international awards, including the Kazi Nazrul Islam Literary Award, she actively participates in international symposiums, bridging cultures through her evocative writings.