I’m a Writer, Not a Fighter by: Amjad Mahmood Khan
“I’m a Writer, Not a Fighter”
by Amjad Mahmood Khan
Los Angeles, California USA
May 28, 2010
Daylight breaks; the headlines scream –
Mosques attacked; a deadly scheme.
Oceans apart; my sinking heart –
Bodies strewn; the innocent depart.
Who am I to a country gone cold?
To extremists bereft of mind and soul?
I’m an Ahmadi; I’m not a stranger.
I’m a writer; I’m not a fighter.
Lahore awakens; the 28th of May –
A mother weeps while her children lay.
A hundred martyrs from the bullets’ rounds –
Their blood still cries from the hallowed grounds.
Who am I to the injured and the worn?
To the father and the brother; to the families torn?
I’m an Ahmadi; I’m not a stranger.
I’m a writer; I’m not a fighter.
Stirred hearts and awakened minds –
Millions watch; their emotions grind.
The attackers’ wish? More blood on the floor –
Of bullets and grenades; of bombs and wars.
Who am I to the extreme and the barbaric?
Whose anger their ailment; whose murder their tonic?
I’m an Ahmadi; I’m not a stranger.
I’m a writer; I’m not a fighter.
Confusion reigns as the blood stains on the victims’ remains –
Witness reports; terrorists’ retorts; the police explains.
Calm prevails as the Ahmadis hail the Khalifa’s statement –
Of patience and prayer; of courage and containment.
Who am I to my beloved Imam –
Whose shield I fight behind from?
I’m an Ahmadi; I’m not a stranger.
I’m a writer; I’m not a fighter.
The law’s awry; hands are tied; the lies no one buys –
A cryptic defense; leaders grow tense; little surprise.
But justice is blind; the truth they will find; it’s Allah’s design –
We strive for what’s right; our pens our might; the enemies decline.
Who am I to my one true Jama’at –
Whose unity I derive my life from?
I’m an Ahmadi; I’m not a stranger.
I’m a writer; I’m not a fighter.
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Beautiful poem! What a wonderful way of honoring the victims of May 28th, 2010. Fighting gets you nowhere. “I am a writer, not a fighter–” what a brilliant line! The pen is indeed mightier than the sword.
Beautiful poem! What a wonderful line–”I am a writer, not a fighter.” Fighting gets you nowhere. The true way to honor the victims of May 28th, 2010 is to live as they lived–peacefully, without bloodshed. Don’t let their sacrifice go in vain. Write–the pen is indeed mightier than the sword.