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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