Arshid Malik
Yesterday evening, as I was catching a nap, I had a dream. It was a very beautiful dream about gardens so lush and brooks so frolicsome; it was a dream about my land, my place of birth. There was joy in the air and smiles weighed down the branches of trees. Mirth trickled down the mountain slopes like fresh morning dew and the birds sang songs of freedom. It was a vivacious dream about the coming of life. Rose petals welcomed adventurous feet and trees bowed down in unison to greet inspiring art. Poetry was in the air and sorrow was a seldom joy. I dreamt this dream; this beautiful dream, yesterday evening while I caught a nap. And then, all of a sudden, shrieks pierced the air and tears wet the dry earth. There was sorrow and my dream was lost to many a coil of concertina wires. My dream was seized, captured and captivated by the concertina wires. It felt so unreal yet so lifelike that I froze in time. My dream, my beautiful dream was kept from me at the hands of many a coil of concertina wires.
Now the grammar of my life, my entire life is seemingly punctuated by many a coil of concertina wires.
Could you, stranger, help me catch another dream with your infinite coils of concertina wires, when all fury has been let loose? I wish to make up for the loss. Could you roll out your rolls of concertina wires for me and perhaps catch me some words to compose a poem? Could you, stranger, lay it out in the open for me and perhaps lure in some grief? Could you please do me a favour and gift my departed friend with a sparkling roll of concertina wire?
Ever since you caught my beautiful dream in many a coil of concertina wire, all I dream about is concertina wire. And yes you left me a sweet reminder at the doorstep, yes some concertina wire. Now it is the battle of the odds across the laid out rolls of concertina wires. Wits fight fights across concertina wires. The good and bad sit opposed to each other across concertina wire. The scourging war and that lost peace fight it out across cross sections of concertina wire. I don’t have my morning tea when there is concertina wire and the neighbourhood dogs writhe in pain when there is concertina wire. Ah! This soulless concertina wire.
Could you cut me a piece of cake with your stretch of concertina wire? Could you shave the shillings for me with your length of concertina wire? Could you cut off the painful memories of me with your strip of concertina wire? Could you chop my fire wood with your yard of concertina wire? Could you build me a shelter with your end of concertina wire? Could you shape my future with your shards of concertina wire?
How strong is your roll of concertina wire? Can it keep the ferocious from me and gather me my crop? How long is your roll of concertina wire? Can it form a fence around all that is mine, the whole world I mean? How sharp is your roll of concertina wire? Can it shear my sheep? And how bright does it shine? Do we need the sun anymore? Do let me know when you lay out the concertina wires.
