Balm for the Heart

Prof. Naheed Akhtar, a renowned and gifted poetess, has once again unveiled her mastery over poetic expression in her latest anthology The Morphine. Known widely across literary circles and social media for her previous acclaimed works Phantasms of the Heart and The Earth’s Love, prof. Naheed Akhtar continues her passionate exploration of the human heart, this time through a surreal and soul-stirring collection. If her earlier works embodied the anguish and ecstasy of love, The Morphine elevates that emotional tapestry to the realm of metaphysical intoxication — where love itself becomes the narcotic, soothing pain, and igniting passions.

The title poem, The Morphine, sets the tone of the collection. It metaphorically equates true love with morphine — not as a drug, but as an overwhelming intoxication of the soul. In her verse:

“Your love travels in the blood,

 Intoxicating the nerves to the highest”

The poet clarifies that love itself is the deepest anesthetic, numbing the ache of existence. This becomes the central metaphor for the collection — that love, in its purest form, heals, transforms, and elevates.

Prof. Naheed Akhtar’s The Morphine is a remarkable collection that unfolds across dozens of striking and thought-provoking titles, each carrying its own world of emotions and reflections. While the scope of this review allows me to engage with only a few selected pieces, the essence of the book as a whole can still be felt—an essence that speaks of pain and healing, despair and resilience, memory and longing. From the very first page, the reader is drawn into a literary journey where words act not only as expressions of experience but also as balm for the heart.

The Morphine

This poem sets the central metaphor of the collection, equating love to a narcotic. Unlike a drug, the poet redefines morphine as the essence of passion that soothes the aches of life. The poem emphasizes how true love intoxicates the blood, nerves, and soul. It shows that love itself can numb the pain of existence. Through this, prof. Naheed Akhtar establishes the emotional foundation for the anthology

My aching senses, skin

 And bones need

 No anaesthetic drug

 To dilute the effects

 Your love travels in the blood

 Intoxicating the nerves

 To the highest

 A Treat

Here, love is described as nourishment, something delicious that gratifies the senses. The poet suggests that passion is not just suffering but also a feast of joys. Every moment with the beloved becomes a treat that the heart longs to savor. The imagery gives the reader a sense of abundance and celebration. It stands in contrast to poems of loss, highlighting the sweetness of love

The Room

This title evokes an enclosed space, symbolizing solitude and intimacy. The poem reflects on how the room becomes a container for memory, longing, and unspoken emotions. Within this room, the beloved’s presence is both haunting and comforting. It represents the private sanctuary of the heart. The poet uses “The Room” as a metaphor for the inner world where passions reside.

Beyond Words

This poem grapples with the ineffability of love. The poet suggests that certain emotions cannot be captured by language. Silence itself becomes a powerful medium of expression. The poem emphasizes the mystical quality of feelings that surpass human vocabulary. It invites the reader to sense love not just in words, but in presence and intuition.

Silver Screens

A cinematic metaphor, this poem portrays love as a film playing on life’s screen. The illusions, roles, and performances reflect the dramatization of emotions. The beloved becomes both an actor and a scene, shifting between reality and imagination. The poem highlights the fragile boundary between real affection and its projections. It reveals the surreal quality of human emotions, much like a movie.

Hypnotic

This poem highlights the irresistible pull of the beloved’s charm. The lover’s presence casts a spell, leaving the poet entranced and unable to escape. It suggests that true love has a hypnotic quality, where one’s will is surrendered willingly. The repetition of this feeling creates an overwhelming sense of passion. Through this poem, Prof. Naheed Akhtar beautifully captures the magical power of attraction.

The Heart’s Core

Prof. Naheed Akhtar takes us to the very essence of love in this poem. The heart’s core represents the innermost, unshakable truth of human feeling. At this depth, superficial desires vanish, leaving only sincerity. The poet emphasizes the purity and strength of genuine affection. It is a meditation on what truly sustains love.

Alas!

This is a lamenting poem that echoes regret and sorrow. The single word “Alas!” conveys a universe of unspoken pain. The poet reflects on missed chances, broken promises, or unfulfilled desires. Love, in this context, becomes heavy with memory and grief. The simplicity of the title heightens its emotional impact.

Above Narcissism..

This poem critiques self-centeredness and promotes love that transcends the ego. The poet suggests that genuine passion is not about vanity but about selflessness. Love should elevate one beyond the mirror of selfish desires. In this way, the poem draws a clear line between narcissism and true affection. It teaches that only by rising above the self can love flourish.

The Autumn

The Autumn is written like a soft elegy to fading beauty, where every falling leaf whispers stories of time’s gentle departure. It celebrates the richness of color, the golden afternoons, and the quiet hush that arrives with the season. Yet beneath its beauty lies a melancholy awareness of endings, of the inevitability of change. The imagery in this piece captures both the ripeness of harvest and the fragility of decline. Autumn here is not only a season, but a metaphor for human longing and transience.

My Dwelling

My Dwelling becomes more than a physical space; it is a sanctuary of memories, echoes, and unspoken emotions. Each wall seems to hold the breath of moments long gone, while windows open to dreams yet unfulfilled. The writing turns the idea of “home” into a deeply spiritual metaphor for belonging, love, and comfort. At the same time, it acknowledges the absence, the emptiness, and the silences that homes sometimes bear. In every line, the dwelling feels alive, speaking through its cracks and corners.

Your Existence

Your Existence is a work that feels like a love letter etched in starlight, where presence itself becomes the greatest gift. The text conveys how one soul can change the meaning of life for another, simply by being. It is tender yet powerful, offering a portrait of devotion that feels timeless. The simplicity of existence is elevated into a phenomenon more profound than achievement or beauty. In its quiet way, the piece insists that the miracle of life is measured not in grandeur, but in presence.

In conclusion, The Morphine by Prof. Naheed Akhtar emerges as a powerful literary creation that not only explores the intricacies of human emotions but also unveils the delicate balance between suffering and healing. Each title, from Serenity to All about the Hallucinations, serves as a window into the complexities of existence, where pain, longing, memory, and hope intertwine to form a rich tapestry of human experience. The work reflects not just the fragility of life, but also its resilience, its capacity to rise through grief, and its strength to endure. Through vivid imagery and poignant expression, Prof. Naheed Akhtar succeeds in capturing emotions that resonate universally, allowing readers to recognize fragments of their own selves within her lines. Ultimately, The Morphine is more than a collection of poems or reflections—it is a balm for the heart, a mirror for the soul, and a reminder that literature has the eternal power to soothe, to awaken, and to transform.