Θέμα: Poem – Writing from a situation of war

It’s a deeply tense and uncertain time here in Jammu and Kashmir, India. Any moment could escalate into something devastating. Still, we must hold on to faith. Let’s pray for everyone’s safety… and if this turns out to be my last day here, may we find peace in our hearts.

I am writing my poems  

I Carried Books into the Silence
When we first shifted to this new home,
I walked into my new room and felt the emptiness settle in me.
The silence was loud, the walls unfamiliar.
But I brought my books all of them 
as if anchoring myself to something deeper,
something eternal.

I became stubborn, defiant 
refusing to leave behind what feeds my soul.

Now, even in the shadow of war,
with chaos looming and choices shrinking,
I carry books not clothes, not comforts 
but books and my laptop.

If this is a battlefield, let it be known:
I march armed with words.
And if I fall,
let me fall as a martyr to learning,
to wisdom,
to the stubborn hope of a modern philosopher 
one who chose peace and prosperity for the generations to come,
who spoke of the oneness of humanity,
so that somewhere, someone,
who dreams of making this world a better place,
may do so with peace, with purpose, and with passion.
Because even when the world forgets the quiet fighters,
those who choose thought over violence,
books over weapons,
and creation over destruction 
their legacy lives on,
not in monuments,
but in minds they awaken,
in hearts they soften,
in the light they leave behind.

Let my life not be measured by survival,
but by the seeds I planted 
of kindness, courage, and consciousness.

Let the next generation know
that amidst all noise,
someone once believed in stillness.
That in a time of breaking,
someone chose to build.

And if my story ends here,
let it echo not with sorrow,
but with the soft turning of pages,
the steady tap of keys,
the whispers of wisdom
still moving forward 
for I lived not just to breathe,
but to leave behind breath for others.

And if history forgets my name,
may it remember my intent.
That I lived not as a bystander,
but as a bearer of light 
choosing books when the world chose bullets,
choosing words when silence grew cruel.

For in every page I carried,
I carried hope.
And that,
perhaps,
is enough.

If It Had Been My Last Day
In the shadow of war, where time is fragile,
Where every heartbeat could be the last,
I stand, breathing deeply in the storm,
wondering:
If this were my last day,
what would I leave behind?

I see the faces of those I love,
flickering like candle flames in the wind,
tender and fleeting.
Would I have said enough?
Would my silence have spoken louder than the cries of battle?

In this chaos,
where bombs drown out reason and fire burns hope,
I hold onto something deeper 
the quiet power of love,
the unshakable belief that knowledge, compassion, and peace
are the only things we truly carry.

I would not leave behind riches,
nor the hollow comforts of fleeting life.
What value would they have
when the earth quakes beneath us
and all that remains is the echo of our choices?

But I would leave behind words 
words that refuse to be silenced,
that rise from the ashes of destruction.
Words that seek to heal, to build,
to light a path through the darkness of war.

And if my life ends here,
let it be known
that I lived not in fear,
but in defiance of the chaos.
Let it be known that I chose peace,
even in the face of the storm,
and that I chose books 
the eternal flame of learning,
the salve for a broken soul.

If this was my last day,
I would not ask for glory or accolades.
Instead, I would ask that somewhere, someone,
finds solace in the words I left behind.
That they carry them into a world still torn apart,
a world that has yet to heal.

And when the war ends,
when the dust has settled and the smoke clears,
may they remember not the weapons I faced,
but the wisdom I chose to share.

For in the end, it is not the fight that defines us,
but the peace we dare to pursue
and the love we choose to leave behind
to guide others through the wreckage.

If it had been my last day,
let it be said that I lived
not just for myself,
but for the possibility of tomorrow,
a tomorrow where kindness, courage, and knowledge are the legacies we build.
– Author Haroon Rashid

Biography:  

ABOUT AUTHOR HAROON RASHID

Haroon Rashid is an internationally celebrated Indian author, poet, and humanitarian whose soul-stirring words transcend borders, cultures, and languages. Revered as “a movement of thoughts” and “a soul that breathes through verses,” he is a global ambassador for peace, education, and sustainable development. Through literature, he fosters empathy, cultural harmony, and a collective vision for a better world.

KEY LEADERSHIP ROLES
• Global Ambassador & International Member, Global Federation of Leadership & High Intelligence A.C. (Mexico)
• SDG Ambassador (SDG4 & SDG13), World Literary Forum for Peace & Human Rights
• National Vice Chairman, Youth India – Mother Teresa International Foundation
• Peace Protagonist, International Peace Forums – Mexico & Greece
• Honorary Founding Member, World CP Cavafy

AUTHOR & LITERARY CONTRIBUTIONS
• We Fell Asleep in One World and Woke Up in Another – poetry book, translated by 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Eva Petropoulou Lianou
• Author Haroon Rashid Quotes – A soul-deep treasury of reflections
• Works translated into: Greek, French, Persian, Urdu, Arabic, Chinese, Tamil, Hindi, Sanskrit, German, Indonesian, Bolivian, and more.

GLOBAL HONORS & AWARDS
• Diploma de Honor al Mérito – Mexico (2025)
• World Art Day Honor – Indonesia (2025)
• Friedrich von Schiller Award – Germany
• 4th World Gogyoshi Award – Global Top Vote (2024)
• 1st Prize – Silk Road International Poetry Exhibition (2023)
• Golden Eagle Award – South America (2021 & 2023)
• United Nations Karmaveer Chakra – 2023 & 2024
• REX Karmaveer Chakra – Silver & Bronze – India
• Global Peace Award – Mother Teresa Foundation (2022)
• Cesar Vallejo Award – UN Global Marketplace
• Honorary Doctorate in Humanity – La Haye, France (2021)
• Sir Richard Francis Burton Award – European Day of Languages
• Prodigy Magazine USA Award – Literary Excellence
• Certificates of Honor – Greece, Serbia, Indonesia, Mexico
• Honorary Award for Literature & Arts – Trinidad & Tobago

GLOBAL PRESENCE & RECOGNITION
• Invited Guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show
• Featured in O, The Oprah Magazine
• Speaker at:
• International Peace Day – Mexico & Greece
• 3rd International Congress of Education – Mexico
• Paper Fibre Fest – Represented India in China, Greece, Mexico, Peru
• UN SDG Conferences, Global Literary & Peace Forums
• Work featured in education campaigns, peacebuilding initiatives, and cross-cultural literary dialogues
• Admired by global celebrities, educators, artists, and policymakers

CULTURAL AMBASSADOR OF INDIA
• Embodies India’s timeless storytelling, spiritual ethos, and peace traditions
• Bridges Indian philosophy with global consciousness
• Revered as an ethical thought leader, visionary poet, and global voice of unity

PHILOSOPHY & SOCIAL VISION

Literature, for Haroon, is a sacred space for:
• Healing, empathy, and consciousness
• Advocacy for:
• Mental Health Awareness & Emotional Resilience
• Climate Action & Sustainability
• Spiritual Depth & Interfaith Harmony
• Youth Leadership & Cultural Preservation

He aims to inspire changemakers, dreamers, and peacemakers across generations.

GLOBAL PRAISE & LOVE

Described as:
“A movement of thoughts.”
“A soul that breathes through verses.”

Celebrated across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, Haroon is loved for his:
• Authenticity
• Emotional depth
• Literary brilliance
Honored by governments, universities, and global literary councils.

TITLES & GLOBAL IDENTITY
• Global Literary Icon
• Award-Winning Author & Poet
• International Peace Advocate
• Global Educator of the Heart
• Cultural Diplomat & Ethical Leader
• SDG Voice for Education & Environment
• Voice of Peace, Passion, and Purpose

QUOTE BY AUTHOR HAROON RASHID

“It’s our responsibility to create a better world for our future generations.”

CONNECT WITH HAROON RASHID
Follow and engage across all platforms:
@AuthorHaroonRashid
(Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and more)