My Grand Daughter Marziya

My Grand Daughter Marziya, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

placing my
bejeweled hand
on her head
I bless her
for all time
marziya
my grand daughter
embedded as
beauty
in the soul
of my rhyme
beholding
godliness
a thought
sublime
a new world
she opened
up for me
in my mortal
lifetime
a mountain
of devotion
barefeet
I climb
a poetic pause
a poetic pastime

Dedicated to Sudip Da
Monsoon Lover

A Poem of Innocence

A Poem of Innocence, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

a message
of love and peace
into the arms
into the hearts
of lovers of humanity
she flows
this grand daughter
of a barefeet blogger
called firoze
bringing warmth hope
on every landscape
she grows
at galaxy a
cherished thought
that uncle salman
khan knows
kissing the hands
of maulana abidi
she bows
a poem of her
innocence
that time froze
on my photo stream
as it overflows
a poem embedded
in pictorial prose

Remembering Those Who Passed Away

Remembering Those Who Passed Away, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

to keep man
happy
in this world
in the hereafter
he pays a price
his head on a platter
supreme sacrifice
animals dont
need virgins
in paradise
a sacrificial lamb
who once
walked behind
the shadow of
jesus christ

Hafiza Bi Standing Tall

Hafiza Bi Standing Tall, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

I made Hafiza bi stand on a landing of a neighbors house, I did not not know why I did this at that time, just a poetic impulse or because the floor was messy as the rebuilding of her house is not complete , they have had a lot of problems getting it done ..

And Hafiza Bi immediately draped her dupatta , and stood by me, and was gushing with excitement as her daughter is going to be visiting her from Manhattan New York, and is keen on me meeting her.

She is happy that her daughter gets her news via my blogs, and sees her mother whom I love to shoot, not for any other reason , but it gives me pride that this Muslim woman , works , slogs without complaining..and here I can tell you , Hafiza Bi loves her hand cart on which she sells ladies and children s garments more than her life..

So more than Hafiza Bi as a woman , I shoot Hafiza Bi as a kinetic energy , as Muslim torch bearer of work, and aging with dignity.

I dont compose my pictures , I dont crop, I shoot as I see it not a picture but as a fulfilled dream of life ,in the shimmering waters of hope as reflected on my soul..
I present this to you as a photo blog..photography for photography's sake is not photography at all, hanging on a salon wall with a certificate of merit ribbon is not the kind of photography I do..my pictures would be thrown into a dustbin..

So I walked away from regressive camera clubs, I walked away from the hallowed walls where blogs as pictures will never hang , and I have no regrets I reach a wider audience at the click of a mouse. I am an international photographer as my photos are stories of people that live life without knowing what I have written about them...and are read globally on cyberspace..

And they will live long after I am dead and gone.

So now you see sometimes you have to let your subject stand taller than you as a photographer ..this quality of tallness requires no photo shopping ..it requires a human face and an indomitable spirit of survival..

I give you Hafiza Bi of Indraji Nagar Bandra.

Hafiza Bi's Cart

Hafiza Bi's Cart, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

112,877 items / 729,858 views

This is the narrow winding lane of Indiraji Nagar Bandra , and the cart belongs to Hafiza Bi the wife of blind Ismail Chacha, an ex army man, Ismail Chachas father worked as Khansama or cook for the Jinnah family before they moved to Pakistan to create history.His father worked for the Nizams family too, they are Karais Konkani Muslims settled in Mumbai.

Hafiza Bi does not really need to push this cart from here to Bandra Bazar Agha Khan Jamatkhana where she sells ladies and children s garments..she can conveniently retire , but she wont , it is this cart that has been her support base , she educated her children, and set them up for life.

He daughter stays in Manhattan New York, and her grandson in UK.

Much of Indira Nagar belonged to Ismail Chacha , but they lost it all giving out rooms to relatives and friends I am told , but they are a happy couple and are now rebuilding their house after 50 years,the earlier house was made out of wood, as Ismail Chacha worked at the docks along with Haji Mastan, in the early years , till he was given an opening with the Indian Army.
Ismail Chacha organizes the 15 August flag hoisting on Independence day singing our national anthem, he is a nationalist Indian, and being blind does not stop him from coming to my house to invite me for our country's celebrations..

He moves about with the aid of a stick, and the help of a local kid, he goes to town in a similar way , using the bus as transport.

Both of them love Marziya, but Hafiza bi has a very soft spot for my grand daughter , and was always inquiring about her when Marziya left for Lucknow.

So this cart basking in the scattered spectral light of life tells a human story..provided you have time enough to hear it.

Marziya at the Bandra Shia Khoja Mosque

Marziya at the Bandra Shia Khoja Mosque, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

112,872 items / 729,552 views

This is Marziya my grand daughter who accompanied me to a Majlis at the Bandra Shia Khoja Masjid , I was invited by Tehsin and Hadi Mukadam who had organized the same .

Maulana Abidi was reciting the same , and Maziya really impressed Maulana Abidi with her charm and spirituality...her innocence so to speak.

My Flickr Sets Demystified

My Flickr Sets Demystified, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

112,868 items / 729,505 views


the pain of living
on the street
the remorse
the despair
the misery
breeding
on the roadside
the hijras
the transgender
the eunuch
clapping hands
a split open wide
by a sucked system
taken for a joy ride
the angst the agony
of the shia
tears on the soul
of humanity
a passion
1400 years
tears that
have not dried
jesus hanging
on the cross
betrayed
killed
crucified
a reminder
in bandra gaothan
once an
East Indian pride
lalbagh cha raja
goddess durga
hope and hindutva
all living in mutual
tolerance
in peace hope harmony
from within and outside
the rafaees
the dargahs
ajmer sharif
haji malang
bawas glass eyed
goddess maryamma
18 feet rod
that will pierce
my cheeks
ghame hussain
a pain that wont subside
a barefeet blogger
of mumbai
doing tandav
on the soul of shimr
come chehlum
on the wayside
perhaps
a black loincloth
taking the holy snan
at hardwar kumbh
with
shri vijayjir imaharaj
my naga sadhu guru
of juna akhada
my mentor and my guide


My sets on Flickr Demystified


I have over 112,867 photo blogs / with 729,481 views at Flickr till date 16 Jan 2010

in sets as listed as below ..All this began at Flickr in June 2007.



Moharam in Hyderabad 4 sets


Bandra The Queen of the Suburbs - Is She- 74 sets

Elections in Mumbai - 5 sets

Bullock cart Race 5 sets

Durga Ma through My Lens 11 Sets

Marriages in my Family Private 8 sets

Marziya Shakir Her Story of Her Life 2 sets

Maryamma Feast 6 sets


Firoze Shakir Family 14 sets

Firoze Shakir Poet 5 Sets

Christian Ethos 13 sets

Best of Firoze Shakir 97 sets

Hope and Hindutva Temples Feast and Festivals 52 sets

Sufism Dargah Rafaees Ajmer 28 sets

Shiasm in India 91 sets

Ganesha Festivals in India 36 sets

Eunuch Transgender of India 10 sets