Penetrating solid walls was seldom hard for me
I felt sheepish stepping out of the door.
Enmeshed in the cobwebs of alleys upon alleys
Night fell when I was halfway there, somewhere
Lament of the trees began
All else disappeared in that noise – the way, the speech, the voice.
Where are we heading?
Waves pounding in my mind
No direction
In the middle of a whirlpool
A whirlpool of words.
Tongues of leaping fire
Lick up the walls
In the morning the walls stand tall again
This is all correct
But tell me where do you wish to head?
It’s been seventy years when the country was founded
Rising hills of dirt and smog fill up the alleys and byways
Humans turned into apes
Brandish sharp blades to have their way.
My legs are exhausted by a long walk
But tell me where do you wish to head?
Exiled in their own country
Some people are mine
Rest are buried under sacks of gold
Either scream or lick the wall.
This is all correct
But tell me where you wish to head?
To those who lie buried in the earth?
Or to those whose lust for gold
Is never smothered?
Their lust embraces each and all
Gold dust fills the eyes
But you tell me where you wish to go?
Where you wish to head?
The drakes floating on the lake
Ask me the same
For they know where they are heading.
If I did not know where to go
Why did I step out?
Is the diaspora from my country a jigsaw puzzle?
Will someone tell me?
Let me go
Seventy years later! Let me go.
I was seven when I decided to take the first step
Seventy years have passed
Cobwebs become more sinuous
Entangling my head, body and feet.
Having seen the world for long
What I see now is real or feigned
I don’t know
Whoever stepped out of the door
Turned into stone
You, me or my alter ego.