The Door Of No Return Poem by Naseer Ahmed Nasir

The Door Of No Return

Rating: 4.4


Those who passed from this door
Were negroes
With centuries-old ethos permeating
Their swarthy bodies.

This door
(The door of no return)
Opening on to an ocean
Was the gateway to
The Brave New World of slavery.

A return journey
Was only a scintillating dream
Reflected in the eyes of
The multitude of skeleton-like bodies
Aboard the sea-going vessels.

This door
On the shore
Now admits the white masters
Who pass with reverence
Recalling the bygone ages of their tyranny
But perchance forget
that Africa
Will shine like the rising sun of the
Brave New World.


Poem by: Naseer Ahmed Nasir,1995.
Translated from Urdu into English by Dr. Satyapal Anand.
Copyrights (C) All rights reserved.

Friday, October 31, 2008
Topic(s) of this poem: africa,slavery
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Sandra Fowler 07 November 2008

The finality of a door with no return cannot be overestimated. You paint a tragic story, but the last pages have not yet been written. An African American has just been elected President of the United States. Praise for your wonderful poems. Kind regards, Sandra

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Naseer Ahmed Nasir 07 November 2008

Yes Sandra you are right, the last pages have not yet been written. But the question is will there be any last page? Perhaps not. After your worthy comments the poem has revealed new meanings on me. I wrote this poem many years ago and I wonder if this were the foretelling about an African American President especially the last three lines! Best Regards, Naseer

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Whitney Nicole Albright* 24 November 2008

This gave me a history lesson. Thanks for sharing.

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Oluokun Adewale 17 December 2008

hi Naseer, I must tell you that you i honestly fall in love with your poem. In fact without mincing words, the poem depicts the history of Africa. In sense that it shows how we were taking into slavery by the Europeans and it also shows that Africa will rise one day. This poem fortells the victory of Barrack Obama who is an African from Kenya now in helms of power of the most powerful country in the world. I must tell you that i share the same views as you because the glory of Africa has come Thanks Adewale

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Sue Justin 27 December 2008

Very touchy, very well translated, u have maintained the essence of the poem during translation...........

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Cindy Kreiner Sera 22 April 2009

Williams Cowper's words come to mind 'For merchants rich in cargoes of despair, Who drive a loathsome traffic, gauge, and span, And buy the muscles and the bones of man? your Poem takes us back in time to remember the Inhumanity of the Slave Trade, lest we forget - Thank you

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Duh Huh 30 March 2009

As usual, your poems are interesting, thought provoking and very real. This one is touching to the core. Thank you for sharing your talent with us :)

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Eyan Desir 27 March 2009

very, very Interesting.................... write

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Ken E Hall 28 January 2009

You write the page of history -slavery of stolen lives from Africa and ravished in the southern states of the U S of A, a poem so true written with honesty well done+++10 Everything has turned around much for the better-Africa 's shame just now is they want to cleanse themselves with their own blood too many rwanda's, regards Ken.e

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Nia Riz 27 January 2009

oh...you foresaw the future! ! ! ...a very good poem...i wonder how you knew that this day would come once!

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