(1) Kabhi Kabhi
by Imran Ali,
Birmingham, U.K.
‘Kabhi Kabhi merey dil
meh’…
Sometimes, most times,
all the time, in this place
this space, this mulakh,
Will I live and die
here, as an Indian?
Why do I have to breathe?
This cold, circumspect air,
the damp atmosphere
the politically correct
in the deepest sense
I don’t belong here
nor, actually, there,
I’m just living, existing
as an Indian
an Englishman
sometimes a Paki.
But I have dreams
to travel, to dance,
with you in the monsoon
and never to return to live here
I have dreams of India,
of bollywood
and eating proper Indian food
shitting in non-gora used loos
dreams of Mumbai
rickshaws driving by
and henna in my hair everyday
‘kabhi kabhi merey dil meh’ ..
I have these thoughts
and dreams.
*****
(2) When
Too many shadows left behind
The innocence and guilt when we were here
Of all the mischievous acts
The most challenging: aging, leaving and living
Regrets, forgets, silhouettes.
Finding the World to be
Complex as destiny
Were we as innocent as he?
A passing of years results in this bitter memory.
Running, hiding, reading,
playing
You, he, she and me.
Maturing in to this debris
As we float in to the eternity
Alone as ghosts, alone generally.
