Aalok Thakkar
A ghazal on the imminent collapse of the world.
“In fire”, or “in ice”, some say “the world will end.”
I think I know a third way the world will end.
My drinking is what makes everything exist.
If you take my cup away, the world will end.
Did I misunderstand Omphalos’ thesis?
Can it be that next Thursday the world will end?
If she wants to meet me, right now is the time.
Go tell that girl from Bombay— the world will end.
Unfulfilled desires, and her cigarettes—
Extinguished in some ashtray the world will end.
First, we toss the crowns! Then we break the thrones!
We do not wait for the day the world will end.
Finally, you’re here so let’s get to the point.
There’s no time for foreplay. The world will end!
Listen To me Devout, this the only Truth:
To whichever Gods you pray, the world will end.
Therefore, don’t sob nor weep. Instead, celebrate.
Come laugh and say hooray! The world will end!
Dr. Aalok Thakkar is a US based computer scientist and poet. He is an exponent of the ghazal form in English where he draws imagery from classical Persian and Urdu poetry, his childhood in India, and his personal travels and experiences. His anthology of ghazals, Refrain and Respite, debuts in 2025.
Zara Asgher is a visual artist and educator from Lahore, Pakistan, currently living and practicing in Helsinki, Finland. Asgher has participated in group shows nationally and internationally. She was awarded a full scholarship to pursue an M.A. in Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education at Aalto University, Finland. She has worked on art educational programmes with the Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Finland and the Finnish Museum of Photography. Asgher's practice explores themes of gender and sexuality. Drawing in public spaces is an integral part of research. Observations of the ways in which different people occupy spaces lead to the understanding of how power dynamics function between genders.
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