The Ascent

I saw a light that flickered by
Amidst broken thoughts and bruised limbs
Perhaps a dream it was that said goodbye
A flame of hope or a flame that dims.

For my dimming hope became so heavy
That I wanted to shed that weight.
In doing so, I lost what was once lovely.
Paid in blood and tears, t’was now my faith.

I had forgotten my climb, my ascent
To the pinnacle devoid of my fears;
But the sweat of those spent
Holding my ladder, now became tears.

I ignored those tears that burned my soul.
My loss would enliven each passing day,
An undying haunting that made me so cold.
Indeed. Indeed. I had lost my way.

Who was that face that stared back at me?
Had I been abducted by something unknown?
Replaced, perhaps… my excuses, you see,
Were denial to the seeds I had sown.

I had all I desired, yet an empty vessel
I was, clamouring upon humility.
I stood apart. Indeed, I did wrestle
With the world and with parts of me.

Then came that fateful day where grasped
By straws of my deeds, I stood
Helpless, alone. Here I could breathe my last
And no one would know. No one could.

But amidst the darkness flamed
An uncanny hero I had once ignored.
I stood oblivious to the power unnamed
As hatred ran, and goodness soared.

I turned around, no longer afraid
Of my misdeeds and failed attempts
To overcome my pain, to let it all fade
Deep into the abysmal descent.

For all along in my lonely plight
I thought that no one stood by me.
What had seemed to me so far from sight
Stood a guardian guiding along my journey.

I still see a light but now it glows
Amidst joyous smiles that would right my wrongs.
Into a firework that drowned my woes,
Here I am reminded that He lived in my heart all along.

The Battle of good versus evil may sometimes include the battle of overcoming painful times and memories. At times, one can forget that all that is endured in this life is a test, a trial for the next. Helping another in need, in spite of feeling cheated and alone, is a battle we can overcome in our daily, sometimes fast paced lives.
Here, a woman loses her family, and her memory of them, in spite of having physical means to help others, make her cold to the outside world. She snobs those in need, a beggar, who returns a toy from the wreckage of her child's accident. She returns to offer some food. Here, she is attacked by a robber. once again, feeling broken, she sits quietly hurt.
She witnesses the bravery of the beggar who is able to subdue the robber with minimal force- a miracle? Or perhaps a guardian angel. compelled to assist, she ensures that the beggar is given shelter, renewing her faith in goodness and God, and overcoming a darkness within herself. she chooses, instead, to love and give, remembering that God never abandoned her.

Director- Zahida Hosein- Bahall

Writer- Zahida Hosein- Bahall

Choreographer -Zahida Hosein- Bahall
Safiya Hosein

Costume design- Safiya Hosein

Music- Zahida Hosein- Bahall

Actors- Safiya Hosein
Bashiruddin Hosein
Salman Bahall
Zahida Hosein- Bahall

The Ascent
I saw a light that flickered by
Amidst broken thoughts and bruised limbs
Perhaps a dream it was that said goodbye
A flame of hope or a flame that dims.

For my dimming hope became so heavy
That I wanted to shed that weight.
In doing so, I lost what was once lovely.
Paid in blood and tears, t’was now my faith.

I had forgotten my climb, my ascent
To the pinnacle devoid of my fears;
But the sweat of those spent
Holding my ladder, now became tears.

I ignored those tears that burned my soul.
My loss would enliven each passing day,
An undying haunting that made me so cold.
Indeed. Indeed. I had lost my way.

Who was that face that stared back at me?
Had I been abducted by something unknown?
Replaced, perhaps… my excuses, you see,
Were denial to the seeds I had sown.

I had all I desired, yet an empty vessel
I was, clamouring upon humility.
I stood apart. Indeed, I did wrestle
With the world and with parts of me.

Then came that fateful day where grasped
By straws of my deeds, I stood
Helpless, alone. Here I could breathe my last
And no one would know. No one could.

But amidst the darkness flamed
An uncanny hero I had once ignored.
I stood oblivious to the power unnamed
As hatred ran, and goodness soared.

I turned around, no longer afraid
Of my misdeeds and failed attempts
To overcome my pain, to let it all fade
Deep into the abysmal descent.

For all along in my lonely plight
I thought that no one stood by me.
What had seemed to me so far from sight
Stood a guardian guiding along my journey.

I still see a light but now it glows
Amidst joyous smiles that would right my wrongs.
Into a firework that drowned my woes,
Here I am reminded that He lived in my heart all along.