THE NEEM TREE (POEM)


[This poem was written by Mrs. Elsa Kazi, the German wife of Allama I.I. Kazi, the late vice chancellor of the University of Sindh. She was born at Weimar in Germany. She met Allama I.I. Kazi in 1907 in London and in 1910 was married to him. They came to Sindh in 1911 where she spent the rest of her life, visiting Europe now and again. She wrote poems in German and English and also helped her husband in writing his book "Brown Girl in Search of God". She died in Hyderabad on May 28, 1967, and is buried beside her husband at the Sindh University Campus, Jamshoro.]


My lovely Neem,
That intercepts sun's scorching beam,
Yet bears the heat all day
Without the rain's refreshing spray,
Thou charm'st the wanderer's woe away
With soothing shade.
How strong you are, how unafraid,
How green thy leaves inspite of all
The mid-day flames that burning fall
Upon thy unprotected head ..........
Could man be bold as thou and rise 
Above the earth, with the sheltering arm
To save the suffering ones from harm,
From sorrows, poverty and vice
Through sacrifice.
Could man be steadfast, and like thee
Face every fate, would it not be
Fulfilment of life's loftiest dream.
My lovely Neem!