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Betrayals

We would sit across  
each other ,  you would  
look suspiciously at me 
'you came all the way to  
see me', you would say 
in that sweet dulcet tone   

'I came all the way to see  
you, from the country without 
a post office', I would blurt out 
and then immediately regret    
quoting you to you 

I would examine the wrinkles  
of your face, expecting you to 
say 'you fool, go away, don't quote me  
to me, so much of a cliche' 
but instead you would smile and 
say 'father said you write' 

I would mumble and you would  
say, 'you might write but you  
can't speak except, it seems in clichés' 

I would flush and you would smile 
and say that's ok  
we are all allowed to be 
fools in our own way   

you would order a Miller lite 
I would stick to a Virgin Cuba 
libre, (with diet coke please) 
'one of those aren't you ' 

'_£÷,÷' I would say 

'speak up, young man. This is 
America, not Srinagar 
people aren't hung for speaking yet' 

'yes, one of those' I would whisper   

you would look at me and  
say , '.. 

But you wont say anything, 
will you, you never will 
you betrayed me just   
like life betrayed you 

You died before my time, 
and I died before life

Life betrayed you
Time Betrayed me 




--

(For Shahid, as always)



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