Serpents Under my Veil
by Asiya Zahoor
It is quite remarkable that in her very first volume, Serpents Under my Veil, Asiya Zahoor sounds like an accomplished poet with reams of poems behind her. From Medusa to Yusuf and Zulekha she cherry- p cks what she wants from Greek or West Asian myth, and moulds it to her heart’s desire. As helicopters ‘fan civilizations on her head’ she flies with her verse, and most poems are stamped with her spontaneity. Her imagery is striking, for instance Zulekha holds the moon as a mirror, what a wonderful image. Her very poem in the book reminds me of Imtiaz Dharker.