Poem ~ 5
Then and Now
By Rafiya Syeed
I walked lonely in the sand,
On the bank of this brimming lake.
Ducks waddled around to take a break,
Geese preened under the willows’ stand.
I climbed a mile with pleasure,
All uphill along the forest trail.
Conifers draped the sky like a veil,
To hide the swathe of buried treasure.
I strolled around meadows in the valley,
Circled by mountains spewing waterfalls.
Sounds were like lullabies or shushing calls,
When birds sang in a choir in the tree.
The lake now is in her death throes,
Girdled by a maze of slum.
Air stinks, water is a pond scum.
About the Poet
Rafiya Sayeed – Educator & Poet
Hailing from Sopore, Rafiya Sayeed is a Gold Medalist in Zoology from Kashmir University. For the past fifteen years, she has been dedicated to nurturing young minds, working passionately with schoolchildren.
A poet at heart since childhood, she writes English poetry and also composes lullabies and children’s songs in Kashmiri and Urdu. Her work has been featured on various online literary platforms, reflecting her deep love for poetry. She remains committed to her creative journey and looks forward to becoming a published author.
