Salik Shah

A mosque, a paanitanki
and trees. A long light pole
and queues of stars
red and green and yellow. There
how they dance in rain.
I crawled the stairs
and under the bed. I wish
I could tell you what you like in rain.
You're like these buildings,
strange, lifeless, ugly.
I can only hate you.
Like the food I cooked yesterday.
I had no choice but to eat.
I thought I'd miss you.
But no your story continues.
She wants to share my apartment,
the one you bought me.
They say you're eccentric.
You broke my hearts and mended them
and it's working fine.
You don't like my face,
my long hair, my beard.
That's why I keep them.
You fell for a wrong guy-again.

March 13,2009