We Lost the World, Not Ourselves.

We Lost the World, Not Ourselves.

We walked this life in robes of quiet need,

With empty hands, yet hearts that would not plead;

The nights were long, the days were often bare,

But not once did we sell the truth we bear.

Hunger knocked gently, then with ruthless might,

Still we chose dignity over an easy bite;

For bread may fade and fortunes turn to dust,

But a sold-out soul betrays its deepest trust.

The world, a market loud with tempting cries,

Where glitter blinds the weak and dims their eyes;

We stood among them, silent yet aware,

Refusing every price they offered there.

They came with smiles, with promises adorned,

With velvet words that left the spirit torn;

“Just bow a little,” they whispered in disguise,

But Mushtaq stood firm, uncharmed by gilded lies.

Storms passed over us, fierce and unkind,

Yet they could not shake the roots of the mind;

For what is loss if honor still remains?

A crown of truth outweighs a thousand gains.

We spoke what burned within, both raw and clear,

Unafraid of judgment, untouched by fear;

For silence, too, can wound the righteous heart,

When truth is known but kept too far apart.

Yes, we have lost in ways the world can see,

No wealth to boast, no chains of luxury;

But look within,where no eyes can intrude,

There lives a soul untouched, serene, and good.

And so we stand, though storms have had their say,

Unbroken still, in our own quiet way;

For in the end, when all is stripped and through...

We lost the world… but never, ever ourselves.

Mushtaq 

The Silence She Left Behind.

The Silence She Left Behind.

There was a love I loved too much,

In every glance, in every touch.

Her smile once felt like morning light,

Turning my darkest days so bright.

At first, her heart would speak to mine,

In every word, in every sign.

We built a world so soft, so true,

Where dreams felt real, and skies were blue.

But slowly something changed in her,

Her warmth grew faint, her voice unsure.

The texts got short, the calls grew rare,

Yet I kept finding reasons there.

She turned to silence, cold and deep,

While I had promises to keep.

I watched her drift, I felt the pain,

But held my words, again and again.

I asked her once, “What did I do?”

She smiled and said, “It’s not you.”

Excuses wrapped in fragile lies,

While truth was hidden in her eyes.

Still, I chose calm, I chose to stay,

Even as she slipped away.

For love like mine doesn’t complain,

It only learns to hide the pain.

Now I stand where we once grew,

With memories fading into blue.

She may forget, she may move on,

But I’ll remember what is gone.

Mushtaq