On The Sand Dunes of Life

On The Sand Dunes of Life, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

on the sinking
sands of
life he sits
selling his wares
his future his past
his present
to me as a poet
he bares
fighting the odds of
survival who cares
a smile of his
sculpted destiny
he shares
captured by
the curiosity of
my camera
a few seconds
he did stare
in humility
in gratitude
i share

dignity of labor
noble heir
some of you are
lucky with
your dreams
his dreams
his nightmare

Cry Oh Beloved Kashmir

Cry Oh Beloved Kashmir, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

135,282 items / 1,024,003 views

a valley
that was once
the abode
of god and hope
now chaos reigns
peace walks a tight rope
love beyond the border
with her paramour has eloped

the kashmiri beggar migrants
in mumbai a future without any
scope

a polio inflicted child
greedily watching
kids on a skipping rope

Sometimes The Mind Shoots Pictures Too

Sometimes The Mind Shoots Pictures Too, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

the eye sees
what it has too see
but it is the mind
that captures
reality
blurred moments
of hope and despair
soundless clarity
pictures that come
in a photographers
beggar bowl as charity

One Day All This Will End

One Day All This Will End, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

135,282 items / 1,023,909 views

my time
has almost come
to pack my stuff and go
leave behind the imagery
a photostream of pain
street remorse widowed woe
you reap pain whatever
seed you sow '
a pain that keeps
up life's flow
the camera collected
all the moving scenes
in fishermen s net
a fact only i as the
photographer know
the camera is nothing
i used it as a plough
rows and rows
of emotions as graves
my tryst with destiny
a deathblow
i took aim
my vision an arrow
outdoor
a street photographer
as is where is
i could not
be a journo
a poet is a poet
is a poet
although
the drama of
the poetry of life
he follows
leaving behind
sadness
the silhouette
of the end
the beginning
does not
matter anymore
he came he shot
another one
bites the dust
another one
hits the floor
sometimes if you close
your eyes even pictures
are a musical score
embedded in your
consciousness
lilting notes you store
deactivated
moment called life
a final call
a file
you cant restore
death
has lost its sting
its only a domestic
chore the only reminder
a pebble washed ashore
without regret
remorse rancor
a comment box
he wont answer
anymore
silenced
therefore


prophetic premonitions and pain
life's essence and core


a comment on facebook I saved for posterity

photography
a ready reckoner
holistically heals
you are there
i am here
yet you know
what i feel
your pain
through my pain
as pictures unpeel
life a continuous ordeal

Firoze @Facebook

Firoze @Facebook, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Randy Der
thank you if not for you i would be out of here tout suite
no firoze is a faceless book

pimping my blogs
firoze @facebook
life stream
friendsfeed
but nothing
to beat the power
of facebook
a home
within a home
addictive
all hooked
status updates
all cooked
randy and fred
are friends now
both my call took
gravitational
gyrational
body and soul shook
seeing the
silhouette
of the hijab
a reflection
in the brook
as a garment
of oppression
sarkozy not too kozy
mistook
his phone
off the hook
a back piece
of a womans
clothing
racially
profiled
hook or by crook

The Siddis of Junagadh

The Siddis of Junagadh, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

135,282 items / 1,023,617 views

once a royal race
of africa
king of the jungle
they say
bought to india
as slaves
in the gir forests
among lions
tigers they stay
their deity
baba gor
chanting
drumming away
money thrown
on the floor
acrobaticaly
they catch
the hard
earned way
insulted
humiliated
for a heritage
far away
called habshi
these african
tribals
of today
like clowns
in a circus
i shot them
to my dismay
at mahim urus
police sandal
i remember it
to this day

The Raw Deal To African Indians The Siddis

The Raw Deal To African Indians The Siddis, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

These are pictures of the Siddis that I have not as yet included in my Siddi set at Flickr , and as I am revisiting this set for the first time in 2 years I did not know about these pictures and this too was a post without text I am updating today 18 July 2010.


Actually I dont need to shoot pictures at all if I just rotate my pictures changing the Exif Data an old picture can be seen currently , so a picture at Flickr posted in 2008 becomes evergreen if I change its status to the current date.

I have written a lot about the Siddis of Junagadh and their pathetic condition these royal tribal denizens come to Mumbai to perform as dancers and drummers at the Mahim Urus.

Made to earn their money which is thrown to them in the most insulting manner , they leap in the air and collect it from the floor like an an animal in captivity.


Imagine if your hard earned salary was scattered on the floor and you had to collect it this way...and this is a great insult to these African Indians totally nationalist and a million miles away from Africa..

I could write a poem it takes only a second but will my words change the destiny of the pathetic poetry of their life.

No it wont so I wont poetize their pain on the fucked consciousness of Indian society half asleep half awake.

And this brings me to another sad subject at Flickr I am sent friends request and the guy only shoots his water gun .. I mean they dont even read my profile that says I dont add people with such tastes and pictures .And I have decided I will not be adding cross dressers trannies transvestites and gays with masturbationally morbid pictures as friend call me a fucking racist but I am sick and tired ....

I have blocked over 475 people here at Flickr and at least reading this they know why I have blocked them.
And if I dont block these one sided contacts I cannot get rid of my thumbnail on their contact list page.

This is an awful Flickr Catch 22 situation.

Makhdoom Shah Baba and the Mahim Police

Makhdoom Shah Baba and the Mahim Police, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

135,282 items / 1,023,550 views

in starched khaki uniform
with the sandal on the head
in the safety of their hands
the mahim police stand
paying reverence
to makhdoom shah baba
al mahimi in sufiland
officers constables
mostly hindus
muslim crowds
a peace
march
planned
placing the tribute
on the tomb of a
Holy Saint grand
people dance
siddi drummers
the impressive
police band
before our religiosity
we are human
we are Indians
you must understand
walking
a path of peace
hand in hand
amchi mumbai
the city of hope
our equity brand

Allah is One Only His Followers Are Divided

Allah is One Only His Followers Are Divided, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

135,282 items / 1,023,496 views

Sectarian curtains separate our creed
we are divided like fragmented
prayer beads we kill each other
the soul of Islam bleeds
One Allah
One Holy Messenger
One Holy Koran
we read
Muslims Love Killing Muslims
who pays heed
even Gods house
His Holly Saints
resting places
bombed destroyed
at full speed
human graves
among whispering reeds
an army of misplaced
martyrs power and greed
diving the soul of spirituality
the soul of humanity
there was no need
the unborn Muslim Child
is scared to come
into this world
he pleads
to be born
killed while his head
bowed in prayers
during Friday namaz
by a suicide bomber
in a stampede
its not just Muslims
but a killer machine
we have begun to breed

following the path of
destruction a path of terror
of accursed Yazid
searching for Hussain
to once again be freed

Documenting Mahim Urus 2008 Trying to Contact Salman Khan

Documenting Mahim Urus 2008 Trying to Contact Salman Khan, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

The most enchanting moment in Sufidom of Mumbai is the Urus of the the Holy Saint Makhdoom Shah Baba al Mahimi..and though I have shot it for several years the most memorable one for me was the Mahim Urus 2008 a set on Flickr 1376 pictures starting with the Mahim Police sandal led by Sr Inspector Latpate from the Police Station to the Dargah I did not shoot this sandal entirely it takes a very long route and long time and I am barefeet .

And I shot the Siddis of Junagadh too.

I would than visit the Mahim Mela or Fair and than proceed to the Dhuni and document the angst of the Chancawalli Rafaees ..it is one Rafaee group I have documented with an unseen and unbelievable passion..

I am updating this post 18 July 2010.

And yes I miss my long hair too..I had gone to meet Salman Khan at his house but it was sheer impossible with the huge crowds gathered near his house and the watchman was not taking chances today being Sunday and before one could say Jack , Salman Bhai gave everyone the slip escaping in a white car with two bodyguards on motorbikes in tow.

I came back home but not before shooting the St Peters Church Waroda Road and some parts of Bandra Bazar Road.

And its the first time I am revisiting this Urus set after two years.
Most of my pictures crave for text but I let them age gracefully and than poetize them accordingly.

The G9 Canon Powershot round my neck was presented to me by Dr Glenn Losack MD but was stolen during Moharam and the Mumbai Police have yet to get back for me..

Mahim Urus is one huge big event shot by the Shia Blogger of Mumbai barefeet to the core.,