قرطاسِ قلب

All praise is due to Allah, the Blessed One, whose grandeur my words fail to capture — the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Words are an ever-flowing ocean, an unending stream. With each passing moment, new tones, emotions, and impressions are etched onto the canvas of the heart. For me, expressing my feelings in a harmonious flow of words has never been easy. It was in 2021 that I first attempted to shape my thoughts into poetry — and since then, poetry has become my closest companion.

"Qirtas-e-Qalb"—The Canvas of the Heart—this debut book is a reflection of all those emotions and experiences that inspire one to rise above their entangled thoughts and reflect upon their true purpose of existence. Life presents us with moments and incidents that imprint themselves permanently upon the heart and soul, and it is those very impressions that taught my pen the art of becoming words.

Man is the noblest of all creation, yet there are stages in life where despair takes root within. At times, he loses himself in the dazzling illusions of the world; at others, he pours himself completely into others — forgetting that the only one truly deserving of such devotion is his Creator. In such times, to remain connected with one’s purpose and to hold on to one’s bond with the Divine is the true essence of success.

For me, penning down my emotions in a stream of words is akin to confronting the truths of life. It is within this very flow, of words and of reality, that my poetry breathes.

(Laraib Shahid)

Translated by: Eesha Farzeen Khan