Sunday, April 20, 2014

For POETS UNITED ~ Poetry Pantry 198 ~ Ah Old Harley Street, If Only You could Speak



Ah Old Harley Street, If Only You could Speak




Where art thou? With All Thy Grace and Treat

Where evening cool breeze would gently sweep

And the open spaces would be free and neat;

Where I learned to ride the bicycle and Greet

My friends who came out to meet- 




Ah Harley Street! where art thou?

With memories sweet-

This same road where bell tingling tongas

With strong horses and shining leather reins 

Would lift the learning loads and stay on the beat-

At that time, this same road was all for residents 

No sounds, not even an innocent lambs bleat.

Ah Harley Street! where art thou?

So defiant in dilapidated defeat!-

YOU seem to be there still serving in retreat-

Though gone is the tar rubble crush and concrete;




Ah Harley Street . All is not lost.

Courage never to submit or yield-

YOU have the BEST on YOU

YOU are replete with –Institutes of Education

Tuition Guidance and Dedication- 

But AH there’s the rub-

The cuts craters humps and dilapidation-

OH Lord, what are WE learning and teaching 

in this precarious condition? That is the question-

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer, 

the slings and jumps of outrageous travel

The heart aches and 

thousand natural shocks that the flesh is heir to-

Or to take arms against oceans of ditchy trouble..err. rubble-

And by appealing begging imploring 

“Please Sir , may we have some more” Ah No! 

Or by opposing clean sweep them….?




Who would bear the whips and scorns of time immemorial

The laws delay, the repairs astray, the rains decay ; AH SILENCE!

Do we continue to grunt and sweat under a weary life?

Or has conscience made cowards of us all?

AH Harley Street! If only you could speak'




OH Fair Poetess, soft you now , Ah There’s The Bump..OUCH…..

Ohhhhhh Cantonment …’Who’s There?????????


















7 comments:

kaykuala said...

A lot of goings-on at Harley St. A very interesting history to unravel. Nicely Anjum!

Hank

Brian Miller said...

has conscience made cowards of us? interesting...is it conscience or a hope to save our own skin? what do we teach indeed...i wonder what that street could share as far as stories...and learning

Anjum Wasim Dar said...

There is or rather used to be a posh Harley Street in Rawalpindi (I960s)where prominent personalities had their residences. The large houses were gradually sold.Now there are many schools on Harley Street...some Academies Coaching Centers and offices...

Anjum Wasim Dar said...

Thank you kaykuala

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Thanks for the explanation about Harley Street - it sounds like a street stepped in history - and stories!

Anjum Wasim Dar said...

Welcome Sherry It was called the 'richman;s street' . Families shifted to the capital city Islamabad when it was built in 1964-Pakistan's capital was changed from Karachi to Islamabad.

dsnake1 said...

interesting. some streets fall into neglect, some become expensive real estate.
there are some interesting imagery you wrote in the poem. :)

SARA FATIMA MIR- CHILDHOOD FUN