I’m sick of their piercing
Like wet arrow drops
I can’t wait patiently
Praying they will just stop

I hate every tear
Every symbol of strife
I can’t allow this false world
To dictate my life

I hate giving in
Every day, every night
I won’t let the world hinter
My God-given might

I must pick each tear
Like it’s a drop of pure blood,
And fill a cup of self-worth
Until it floods, and floods

I am who I am,
And brave I can be
I don’t have to give in
I can be safe in me

There is safety in me
There is beauty in me
There is power in me
There is calmness in me

The world may try
To deny I can flee
But I know with God’s grace
From my tears, I’ll be free… one day.

Submitted by: Tanveer Kaur

Submitted by: D. Kaur

But when I look into her eyes,
I see the fire is still there,
ready to flare up
and burn away injustice
wherever it may be found.

I see an undying optimism
that says that life is worth living
for its own sake,
that humanity is, after all,
worthy fighting for,
worth saving,
and in spite of itself,
worth loving.

I see tenderness
and compassion and hope.
I see the certain knowledge that
love is the strongest force in all existence.

I see that the impossible
has indeed been accomplished,
I hear the sound of the Naam
reverberating through the cosmos.

I see a battle well-fought,
the final outcome still in the future,
mine to keep fighting, if not mine to win,
mine never to surrender,
but to leave the final outcome
in the hands of God
knowing that all will be according to Waheguru’s Hukam.

I see all this
with my own eyes
through my own eyes
in my own eyes.

Submitted by: Harinder Kaur

all a world, a society, a nation will view
is a person’s screams, pained face, angry soul
expressions
when they forget to recognize
the person is walking on fire
they are battling a hurricane
they are suffocating in high tides
don’t make them drown

for a minute for an hour
for a day
if you’d have the courage to try.

Submitted by: M. Kaur

In those holiest hours when it is such
A beautiful time to serve and touch
The marble where the saints have walked,
Why must those gilded doors be locked
To women alone, the Guru’s daughters,
Cleansed by Thy Word and Thy Holy Waters?

The women of Bibi Bhani’s line,
And those descended from Mata Sahib Kaur’s time,
Gather as one to utter this prayer:
“O compassionate Guru of infinite care,
Let all Sikhs enact this holy rite,
As all are immaculate in Thy sight.”

By: Gurkiran Kaur Khalsa
Submitted by: J. Kaur

This poem shares the story of a young Sikh girl who was deceived into marrying a Muslim boy. It is written through her eyes and can be taken as a warning to other young Sikh girls who may be mislead into marrying men that beguile them with false charm and care.

Life in leafy Edgbaston was cosy, routine and without much bother,
Mummy and daddy where professional middle class,
I was at college study for my A levels,
I was shy and obedient but I wasn’t content,
I longed for excitement,
I wanted to live the world,
I wanted to be as bold as brass and that was my intent.
At college one day, a lad approached me, as he towards me,

I could see from afar around his neck, he wore the moon and stars
around his neck.
He was very persistent and sweet,
Told me I was beautiful from my head down to my feet.
In my innocence by this tender words I was fooled,
This Muslim boy loved me.
And the love for my own family cooled.

My stupidity lead me to follow western trends,
I allowed him to become my boyfriend,
He had me under his hypnotic spell,
What I was going to do next nobody could tell,
I moved from Edgbaston to Sparkbrook.
I longed to be with my one and only Farooq.
My life was to change completely,
Long gone where the afternoon tea parties with the ladies,
Long gone where my Mummy’s BMW and Daddy’s Mercedes,

I was soon getting on and off buses and trams,
As I struggled with a variety of prams,
I was his sweetheart no more,
Instead I had become his common whore.
From Edgbaston to Sparkbrook and then to living hell
That is Pakistan,

A distant memory now, but please believe me,
I had once stood shoulder to shoulder with my dear dad
and demanded khalistan.
Oh God
What have I done?

What has happened to me?
What have I become?
As I lay awake at night
There is nobody to even hear me cry,
My thoughts are unanswered, questions are my only escape,
Somebody, anybody! Please tell me?

Will I ever stand in the warmth of my kitchen again?
Will I ever feel the hug of dear Daddy’s strong arms?
Will my brothers ever fight and play and argue with me again?
Will I be there when my Mummy and Daddy grow old?
When my brother gets married will I be there to put the kalgi on his
pagh?
Will I ever again experience the sweet nectar that is Gurbani?
Will I ever share langar again?
Now there are no answers, only questions.

I have sown the seed of my own despair,
My life is in ruins, which nobody can repair,
My innocence, foolishness, kismet on me all have cheated,
I desperately want my previous boring life,
But I fear I am living in false hope,
In my heart of hearts I know that can never be repeated.
As I write these word in the unforgiving Pakistani heat,
Streams of sweat and tears run down my face,
I realise for me it is now too late,
Life has dealt me a cruel fate,
My living hell on my own I have to endure,
But I plead with my Sikh sisters that you make sure
Don’t be fooled by his looks and false allure.

Stay in the warmth of Sikh religion,
Maintain your family values,
Enjoy its rich culture, but unlike me don’t abuse its social freedom,
Ignore my advice at your peril,
But I beg you to take, a good long hard look at me,
A pitiful shambles I’m sure you will agree,
Happiness or even hope, I haven’t any,

But regrets………….

I have many

Wasting this life

In the love of duality

Walking tall and proud

Of this conceited mind

Caught up in everything around me

Corrupted by the evils

Fooled everyone around but me

Walking with the noose of death over my head

This sinful mind is so full of Maya

Feeding its ego

I live in this illusion

Oh Husband Lord,

What can be said about this nightmare?

Death comes near

And I begin to fear

I bury myself in regret

Only wishing I could redo

The damage that has been done

Trapped by temptation

I have lost my faith

Oh Great Satguru,

Wake me up from this illusion of life!

I cannot endure this pain

For every damned thought that crossed my mind

I am tortured by the Messenger of Death

Why is this mind so ignorant?

It can’t accept the truth

I have fooled everyone

But the One who matters

Will slap me in the face

WAHEGURU

-Perminder Kaur

gauVI mhlw 1 ]
gourree mehalaa 1 ||
Gauree, First Mehla:

kwmu k®oDu mwieAw mih cIqu ]
kaam krodhh maaeiaa mehi cheeth ||
The conscious mind is engrossed in sexual desire, anger and Maya.

JUT ivkwir jwgY ihq cIqu ]
jhoot(h) vikaar jaagai hith cheeth ||
The conscious mind is awake only to falsehood, corruption and attachment.

pUMjI pwp loB kI kIqu ]
poo(n)jee paap lobh kee keeth ||
It gathers in the assets of sin and greed.

qru qwrI min nwmu sucIqu ]1]
thar thaaree man naam sucheeth ||1||
So swim across the river of life, O my mind, with the Sacred Naam, the Name of the Lord. ||1||

vwhu vwhu swcy mY qyrI tyk ]
vaahu vaahu saachae mai thaeree ttaek ||
Waaho! Waaho! – Great! Great is my True Lord! I seek Your All-powerful Support.

hau pwpI qUM inrmlu eyk ]1] rhwau ]
ho paapee thoo(n) niramal eaek ||1|| rehaao ||
I am a sinner – You alone are pure. ||1||Pause||

Agin pwxI bolY BVvwau ]
agan paanee bolai bharravaao ||
Fire and water join together, and the breath roars in its fury!

ijhvw ieMdRI eyku suAwau ]
jihavaa ei(n)dhree eaek suaao ||
The tongue and the sex organs each seek to taste.

idsit ivkwrI nwhI Bau Bwau ]
dhisatt vikaaree naahee bho bhaao ||
The eyes which look upon corruption do not know the Love and the Fear of God.

Awpu mwry qw pwey nwau ]2]
aap maarae thaa paaeae naao ||2||
Conquering self-conceit, one obtains the Name. ||2||

sbid mrY iPir mrxu n hoie ]
sabadh marai fir maran n hoe ||
One who dies in the Word of the Shabad, shall never again have to die.

ibnu mUey ikau pUrw hoie ]
bin mooeae kio pooraa hoe ||
Without such a death, how can one attain perfection?

prpMic ivAwip rihAw mnu doie ]
parapa(n)ch viaap rehiaa man dhoe ||
The mind is engrossed in deception, treachery and duality.

iQru nwrwiexu kry su hoie ]3]
thhir naaraaein karae s hoe ||3||
Whatever the Immortal Lord does, comes to pass. ||3||

boihiQ cVau jw AwvY vwru ]
bohithh charro jaa aavai vaar ||
So get aboard that boat when your turn comes.

Twky boihQ drgh mwr ]
t(h)aakae bohithh dharageh maar ||
Those who fail to embark upon that boat shall be beaten in the Court of the Lord.

scu swlwhI DMnu gurduAwru ]
sach saalaahee dhha(n)n guradhuaar ||
Blessed is that Gurdwara, the Guru’s Gate, where the Praises of the True Lord are sung.

nwnk dir Gir eykMkwru ]4]7]
naanak dhar ghar eaeka(n)kaar ||4||7||
O Nanak, the One Creator Lord is pervading hearth and home. ||4||7||

We are known as superior beings
Wearing Guru Ji’s Bana
And wearing the Dastaar of Khalsa
Carrying the Shasters known to protect
We look the part
Yet our eyes deceive us all
We are good at talking
But our actions speak for themselves
We walk through the forest
Not knowing where or what to do
We have lost our true pathway
Without Guru Ji we cannot exist
Forgetting the Naam I shall reincarnate over and over again
Without Bani I am nothing
We come to this reality
Saying “Mine, Mine”
What fools are we to say this
Guru Ji gives us all
There is no pain greater than the pain of Maya
Who can help us understand our condition?
Only Our Beloved Lord
This mind wanders everywhere
How can it be controlled?
“In doubt and emotional attachment,
This person understands nothing;
With this leash, these feet are tied up”
We are all sinners
Swarming with the five evils
We say one thing, but think another
We are such poor, and pity creatures
With Maya we take such a worthless path
Where will this path lead?
Only to pain and suffering
We are false appearances
Only carried along by our ego
We continue to crave materialistic things
Not once remember the Naam
We remember Waheguru during our tough times
Never thanking him during our joyful times
In the end it all comes down
The Guru Ji’s teachings, bani and seva
Bring peace to our minds
Rather than crave Maya
We crave the love of Guru Ji with His children

I am a seeker of love
but its colours do not surround me
its music does not fill my ears

I look for simplicity
but there is no wind beneath it wings
it has no place of its own

I search for my soul
but it does not recognise me
I am not who I was.

I stand here in my lonely world
I see my destination, flashing before my eyes
My legs are shaking,
I wonder which way to go
Afraid to take the wrong step, make a wrong turn
I see my destination, far, far away
Things keep me back
As I try to walk ahead
But I see a light which keeps me going
I see my destination, calling for me…home
I have found myself, my courage
I take one step forward,
Having faith in myself,
Take another step,
It’s getting clearer.
I see my destination, I’m getting closer
My leaders, my precedents have left me a path
Guiding me on my journey
I am encouraged
By those who have already reached
Destination
It’s right there
I take a few more steps
I’m almost there