Letter #21 A Collection of Agha Shahid Ali's Poems, the Ghazals of Mehdi Hassan, and a Journey Down Memory Lane

The world is full of paper, Write to me - Agha Shahid Ali

Dear Friend,

I smile and quote a Ghalib line; he completes the couplet, smiles, quotes a Mir line.

I complete the couplet. He wraps my kilo of ribs. I gave him the money. The change

clutters our moment of courtesy, our phases snapping in mid-syllable, Ghalib’s gazals left unrhymed

A Butcher, Agha Shahid Ali

They ask me to tell them what Shahid means: listen, listen: It means “The Beloved” in Persian, “witness” in Arabic." This quote from Agha Shahid Ali's biography by Manan Kapoor perfectly captures the essence of his poetry. I discovered Shahid back in 2019 from a YouTube video of his poem being recited, and I was instantly captivated by his words.

I remember it was raining heavily that night, and the longing in Shahid's poems felt so real. His poetry resonated with me on a personal level, and I found myself coming back to it time and time again. Recently, I decided to revisit his works and play some Mehdi Hassan ghazals, and it was strange how reading Shahid's poems and listening to Indian classical music took me back to my childhood.

I vividly remember my father taking me to Daryaganj's Moti Mahal when I was a child. The delicious food and the beautiful music created a magical atmosphere that has stayed with me all these years. It's amazing how something as simple as a poem or a piece of music can transport you back in time and evoke such powerful memories.

Indian classical music is truly beautiful, and it's something that I have come to appreciate more and more as I've grown older. It has the power to connect people across generations and cultures and create an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.

I’ll write again, my friend.

Yours,

Bohemian Dialogue