by Dr. Bilal Ahmad Bhat

What you’ve seen in your eyes is not Kashmir,
It’s only a glimpse of a place that appears near,
For Kashmir’s soul is far beyond sight,
It breathes in the shadows, it glows in the light.

Look to the mountains where shadows are cast,
The whispers of valleys, the stories that last.
It’s the scent of the saffron that fills up the breeze,
The hush of the rivers, the grace of the trees.

What you feel in your heart—that is Kashmir,
The pulse of a valley so timeless, so clear,
The warmth in its chill, the peace in its strife,
The echo of heritage, the rhythm of life.

It’s in every petal of the tulip fields,
The courage it took for this land to heal.
In the smiles of the children, their laughter so bright,
In homes that hold tales of both darkness and light.

O Sundar, dear friend, let me take you there,
Beyond the rugged peaks and the mountain’s stare.
Where beauty has pain but remains resolute,
In the heart of this valley, deep-rooted, astute.

It’s not just in images, nor captured in frames,
But in souls who endure and the pride they claim.
Kashmir lives in the spirit of those who believe,
In the harmony of cultures, in the songs that they weave.

There’s a world of emotions in each passing stream,
Where the landscape is more than a scenic dream.
What you’ve seen is a picture—a fleeting embrace,
What you feel is Kashmir’s quiet, timeless grace.

It’s in heartbeats of people, the hum of the land,
In lives intertwined like the rivers and sand.
Not in mere sights, but in whispers unheard,
In the silence that echoes with every bird.

Come, see Kashmir through what you feel, not see,
For its spirit endures eternally free.