rules of flowers
written by ayisha riaz

izajat se phool nahi khilte
dil ke maamle dastoor se nahi chalte
flowers don’t bloom with permission
matters of the heart don’t follow rules

mohabbat kisi dastak ka mohtaj nahi
ye to dil ki dehleez pe khud aa jaati hai
love doesn’t feel the need to knock at one’s door
it shows up at uninvited at the doorstep of your heart

jazbaat ko lafzon mein baandhna mushkil hai
kabhi aankhon ki zubaan seekhni hoti hai
it’s hard to trap emotions within words
sometimes one must learn the language of eyes

waise, jang ho ya ishq
bekhauf izhaar nahi milte
well, whether it is war or love
confessions without fear are not easy

shayad kehna zaroori nahi hai
yeh toh akhir dil se dil ki guftagu hai
maybe it doesn’t need to be said
these are exchanges of the heart afterall

zakhm bhi kabhi kabhi zevar ban jaate hai
har dard ko lafz nahi milte
wounds can sometimes become embellished
not every pain can find the words express itself

jo khud se nikle woh sach hai shayad
farmaan se ehsaas nahi palte
what rises from within is perhaps the only truth
feelings aren’t grown from orders or commands

kuch rishte duaon se badhte hai
kuch sirf waqt ke saath sulagte hai
some bonds deepen through prayers
while others slowly burn with time

dilon ke faisle likhe nahi jaate
aur na hi woh kisi mohar se silte hai
the heart’s decisions are never written down
nor are they sealed by any official stamp