You will look beyond the roofs of Karachi, and the markets of Lahore. PHOTO: PINTEREST

You should expect nothing

Because you should expect nothing of the world — when you want it to expect nothing of you.

Shariq Babar July 23, 2017
There are days of glee and sorrow,
There are days of wonder and freight,
There are days of worry, insecurity —
Thoughts that you’ve been victimised.


There are protruding, menacing, cutting eyes,
Staring.
They watch your every move.
It’s not some higher power or satan or big brother,
It’s just all the people who expect something from you.

And the days will pass you by. You will find new shores and highways.
You will look beyond the roofs of Karachi, and the markets of Lahore.
You will breathe in the stink of cities, leaving the Big Apple behind.
You will see the world — not really,
But it will be enough.

They will wonder where you’ve gone, maybe they really do care now.
Your decisions will run in their minds, like the donuts you made with your car in your youth —
The wheeze, eeks and hums, the loud engine and tire noise —
And they will still be saddened because they have lost themselves again.
And because they have found, they can expect nothing of you.

In the end,
You might just be so lucky, to find your town at the ends of those shores and highways.
You might just be so lucky, to find a city to call your own.
You might just be so lucky, to accept the world with all its mess.
You might just be so lucky, but you might not be.
Because you should expect nothing of the world—
When you want it to expect nothing of you.
WRITTEN BY:
Shariq Babar The author is currently working as a content marketer in Toronto, Canada. He has a strong interest in creative writing and film making. He tweets @shariqbabar
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (5)

Bilal Kamran | 6 years ago | Reply Short, concise and loaded with expression - this piece of poetry will send shivers down one's spine if they put themselves in the situation mentioned. Undoubtedly a commendable writer, Mr. Babar has the ability to depict issues in our society through the power of his pen. I am truly inspired by this, as well as his earlier works, for it talks about the root cause of most of our problems, both directly and indirectly. This makes 'You should expect nothing' a must-read. Hope to see more of your work, Shariq. Best of luck for your future endeavours!
Alka Rim | 6 years ago | Reply I read and re-read this exquisite work of art. This eye-opener poem has advice, and a moral to it. Mr. Babar's maverick style of writing is reminiscent of Walt Whitman's style. It's a treat to read something like this when the whole e-Newspaper is replete with gloomy news. "You Should Expect Nothing" is a breath of fresh air, the poet's warning, "You will breathe in the stink of cities" notwithstanding.
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