The Leaf of the Neem Tree
<p>Known for their bitter taste, neem leaves have been used for centuries in South Asian traditional medicine. In <em>The Leaf of the Neem Tree</em>, Jamal Mehmood unravels bitter truths that come with growing out of youth and confronting the concrete realities of our world.</p> <p>Weaving free verse and ghazal, English with Urdu, the poems lead the reader through the author’s wandering mind, which moves from Gillingham to Kashmir; Ghassan Kanafani to Mansour Hallaj. We also peer into the worlds of a struggling graduate dealing with the harshness of life after university; a shipman who finds himself swimming to England; and a man who decided to leave England behind altogether.</p> <p>Balancing movement with pause, this impeccable collection deals in the alchemy of introspection—the quietness of loss, longing, memory and spirituality.</p>
Authors: Jamal Mehmood
Illustrator: Han Gunji Stephens
Designer: Samara Jundi
Part of: Hajar Press
ISBN: 9781914221071