Ahmed Shamim was born in Sri Nagar, Kashmir in 1927. In the lead up to the partition Ahmed was an active participant in the Kashmir Liberation Movement. After 1947 he was constantly harassed by the police and was arrested in 1948. Soon after he left Indian Occupied Kashmir and headed to Pakistan, never again seeing his mother. He wrote this free verse poem in her memory.
This is a great essay describing the poem: https://dearrumi.com/2014/01/06/a-journey-through-sand/
Here is a biography of Ahmed Shamim: http://www.dareechah.com/modern_urdu_poems/ahmed_shamim_biography
Music: Marigold by Quincas Moreira
