Sheikh Sameer
On His 70th Birthday
You would have turned seventy today, dear Dad,
But time stood still a month ago,
When Heaven called and angels came,
And I was left with tears to show.
Yet you’re not gone — not truly so,
You live in breath, in pulse, in prayer.
In every heartbeat that I feel,
In quiet moments, you’re still there.
Allah had blessed me far beyond,
When He chose you to guide my way —
A father kind, so deeply wise,
With truth and faith in all you’d say.
No worldly crown nor fleeting praise
Could match your honest, steady hand.
You taught with silence, lived with grace,
Built my world upon firm land.
How gentle was your guiding voice,
How rich your silence full of care.
You never needed thrones or gold —
Your love alone made all things fair.
And now this June, with sky so wide,
I whisper wishes to the air.
Though I can’t see your face again,
Your soul surrounds me everywhere.
Your teachings root deep in my soul,
Like verses etched upon the stone.
And though the chair beside is bare,
Your spirit walks — I’m not alone.
Today I do not light a cake,
But light a prayer instead, with tears.
To thank the One who gave me you,
And hold your memory through the years.
Seventy, Dad — but timeless, still,
No age can bind the love you gave.
Your legacy, your name, your light,
Still guide me strong, still make me brave.
The Kashmir Dialogues
