the barren valley
by Waqās Ahmed
Listen.
Listen to the sound of sacred silence
Where are you, my loves?
Our heart beats with your vibrations
Our atoms long for your embrace
We are yearning
Yearning to be able to sing together again
We are the Barren Valley
The mountains that fortify your souls
The birds that watch over you
The House that centres you
The magnetic field that lures you
Yes, our parting is ordained
And reflect we must
But when this stillness is stilled
We will sing again
And sing too, we shall, in renewed harmony
InshaAllah.
This image is “Magnetism III” from the Khalili Collections.
About the poet: For Waqas, poetry is the emergent (and inevitable) property of his extraordinarily diverse background.
He holds a degree in Development Economics (SOAS) and postgraduate degrees in International History (LSE) and Neuroscience (King's College London). His two main professional careers have been in diplomatic journalism (Global correspondent, FIRST Magazine) and visual art (Artistic Director, Khalili Collections). He has published articles on a range of subjects including philosophy, art, history and education. He has been called a “modern renaissance man” by various publications; his work has been featured in or reviewed by the Financial Times, Fast Company, Forbes, the BBC, Men's Health and The Lancet.
Waqas is considered a world authority on multidisciplinary thought and practice, and is author of the internationally acclaimed book The Polymath (Wiley 2019). He is Founding Faculty at the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) and Visiting Fellow at the Open University Business School, where he explores interdisciplinary approaches to leadership, management and innovation.