POETRY BY KA

“Cloudy Inside” It's a cloudy day inside me, No rain yet—just that heavy grey, The kind that wraps around the ribs And sighs, but has nothing to say. The wind forgot where it was going, The sun stayed behind the doubt, I walk through thoughts in slow motion, Trying to find my way out. Not broken, just weathering silence, Not empty, just holding too much. Some days, even breathing feels distant— And comfort is too soft to touch. But maybe the grey means I'm resting, Before the light finds its way through— And maybe the sky inside me Is waiting to turn something new.                                                   KULSOOM AFZAL

  "The Dresses I Never Wore" In the golden light of her mother’s courtyard, Zara once stood surrounded by dreams stitched into fabric—crimson chiffons, turquoise silks, embroidery kissed by zari and sequins. Her dowry trunk was filled not just with clothes, but with hopes. Each outfit whispered stories she had imagined: candlelit dinners, Eid mornings with hennaed hands, laughter in front of the mirror as her husband looked at her in awe. But those dreams were locked away the day she crossed the threshold into her new home. Her mother-in-law, with eyes like sharp thorns and a tongue dipped in vinegar, eyed the trunk with disgust. “All these colors? These shiny things? You’ll look like a dancer,” she spat. Zara blinked, stunned. Her husband said nothing—just stared at his phone like her pain was background noise. Soon, her wardrobe became a museum of dreams—untouched, gathering dust in a metal almirah. Her mother-in-law insisted she wear old, oversized clothes that smelled of ...

The truth of you cuts deeper than a knife, I lived in a dream, you lived a lie. I thought your heart beat close to mine, But greed was your truth, not love divine. I saw loyalty dancing in your eyes, Heard promises wrapped in sweet disguise. I thought your touch was warm and true, But gold was the god inside of you. It chills my soul, it shakes my core, To love a man who wanted more. My heart was yours, so soft, so wide, But you were counting coins inside. I gave you love with no demand, You held my heart with empty hands. Now I see the man you truly are — Not love, not truth… just a falling star.                                                KULSOOM AFZAL

  "Unseen Threads" Sometimes I feel you, Not in the world’s noise, But in the quiet between my thoughts. Like a whisper from a place I can’t reach, But know too well. It’s as if our souls— Despite everything— Still hum on the same silent frequency. I breathe… and somewhere, It feels like you do too. Even in your absence, There are moments when Your presence wraps around me like mist— Not warm, not cold— Just… familiar. I don’t know if it’s memory, Or something deeper. But sometimes, It feels like we're still talking In the language of the unseen. Yet with every pull, I remember the pain— The harsh words, the cruel eyes not yours, But ones you never shielded me from. And then I let go. Not of the love, But of the hurt it carried. Because even soul ties Deserve peace.                                         Kulsoom Afzal

  "Waqt Ka Safar" Ek waqt tha... Jab teri kami se saans bhi bhari bhari lagti thi, Aaj ka waqt hai— Tera khayal bhi dil ko chhoo nahi pata. Kabhi hijr mein, Wisal ki ek choti si umeed se jeeti thi, Aaj teri judai ke liye Dil se shukar ada karti hoon. Tere diye hue zakhm Aaj bhi yaad hain, Lekin ab yaadon mein tu nahi, Sirf sabak hai, khud se wafa ka. Tere sath jo chehra murjha gaya tha, Aaj wohi chehra Khud se mohabbat mein khil utha hai. Itna khil utha ke Aaina bhi har dafa hairan ho jata hai, Aur main... Khud par hi yaqeen nahi kar pati.