Artwork by: Azqa Azim
BY: Umey Aiman
they say great things happen post sehri
so i sat down to write about her
Is this poetry or prose?
who knows?
borders, divisions and binaries.
Who decides the structure?
what is it going to be?
i’ll let it decide for itself
or i’ll let her decide.
it was always there
in the space between her and i,
in our inflated hijabs,
as we rode our bikes fast,
thinking maybe we’d cycle
to someplace far away &
just be.
it was always there
in our little mischiefs,
as we loosened our hijabs
& set our hair free,
this time we rode the cycles faster.
as sweat dripped on our spines
& our hair flew like flags behind,
our bodies, flagpoles.
cycling towards an inner revolution,
we didn’t know was coming.
it was always there in the looks
& the sandwiches we shared.
always stealing both,
the last glance & the bite.
it was always there
in the precautionary measures we took,
to be safe from his wrath and his.
an extra scarf,
a shalwar or
a kameez, untidily thrown in our backpacks.
as we slipped into sheer tights and dresses
while the entire school blared with music.
it was always there
in the schools bathroom,
as i stood next to her
looking at our reflections,
unable to go forward
because
What do I know about poetry?
Is it poetry or prose?
who knows.
i’ll i’ll let it decide for itself
or i’ll let her decide.
they say the dead can see you,
its dawn now,
maybe she’ll come down & decide.
Umey Aimen.