Selfies From The Road

By Saif Ali

(Three poems from the travels of the poet)

 

PULWAMA VALLEY, KASHMIR

A broken

PA system

at the mosque

 

The imam

calls to prayer.

Standing outside by the brook,

 

voice loud enough
    for only a few houses.

A few men gather.

Plenty of space for everyone.

 

The birds sing.

The water flows.

The imam calls me to the Lord.

 

PUTNEY, LONDON

I am so in Great Britain

On the flight,

I watched the Imitation Game.

Then in the morning,

I had tea and crumpets.

Next, I’m going to

put on a Polo neck.

And be a shadow

of my glorious past.

 

AL-ANDALUS, SPAIN

Oh rational beings, take heed.

The opportunity cost of the world is Paradise.

Leaving this world

without tasting the sweetness of faith is like leaving Mecca

without once glancing at the Kaaba.

Oh buyer in the bazaar of love.

How would you like to set your sights on the finest of jewels?

And sip the sweetest of nectars whose seal is musk.

Why would you beg

for bowls of water,

when the gushing fountain

is within arms reach?

 

Saif Ali is an interdisciplinary scientist and performing artist. He has performed at venues worldwide including the BRAVA theatre, the Bayfront theatre and the Eureka theatre in San Francisco, the Stein Auditorium in New Delhi, Mubai Art Room in Mumbai and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale art festival in Kochi, Kerala, India.