POETRY
Amaltas Are Blooming
When June’s blazing sun
beats down on my face,
every agonizing thought
echoes inside my head.
When grief, small as a sparrow,
perches on my shoulder,
in a crowded bus
on a rare Tuesday afternoon,
I breathe heavier than ever.
In that moment, I am smaller
than I have ever been.
A glimpse of fierce red gulmohar,
centuries-old banyan trees
taking up all urban space,
yellow amaltas flirting with the air,
amber leaves carried
away by the wind,
as new life takes over
the barren branches.
The citrusy purple lilac jacaranda
lined across the busy roads of Karachi
lingers in the wind,
and God whispers:
“You exist. You must.”
Mishal Zahoor is a Media Studies student from Karachi. She is an independent writer and aspiring journalist with an interest in creative nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting. Mishal was selected as one of the ten participants for the LUMS Young Writers Workshop 2024. Having grown up in Balochistan and belonging to a diverse background, she is passionate about documenting ignored and mundane narratives, seeking interesting angles and observations in stories. A nostalgic and a wanderer at heart, she runs a public Instagram account where she shares archival content and documents daily life.