A World Where

"Take me to a world, somewhere where .."
She hummed to me one day, and we kissed-
Like any other day, where we would
Tiptoe into the lush bushes, to meet
She would remove her hijab, and lost
In her eyes and the smell of her open hair
I'd hear the little crickets sing ballads-
And songs of hope, darkness and other things.

And little by little, I'd see the sun set while
Fondling her naked body- she writhing on the
Fallen leaves- the cuckoos on the boughs jealous -
Competing with her moans, melodic yet melancholic.
I'd set apart little stones for her- and fashion
Little domes- I'd tell her it was our Taj Mahal.
And each time before parting, I'd feel myself
Disintegrate into little orange pieces of shame-
Much like the reddish sun in the water- in the clouds.

"Blasphemy", they screamed one day- they came
To my house with sticks and eyes aflame-
Armed with amulets, skullcaps on their head.
I saw her face- they hit me- bound me
Her hair was open- they dragged her by it
Years later, three men came out with sly smiles
And set me afire. I sniffed the whiff of solitude
And felt the pang of hunger for three days
Until the vultures finished feasting- on dry sand
Parchment skin on yellowed bones.

All that remained was a decaying forest-
With no careful footsteps- No promises-
Everything lay forgotten- between thoughts and actions.