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January 31, 2006
Reprint-"Return"
This is a poem that I posted once before on my blog, but not alone. It is actually part of a much larger "journey poem" that needs a fair bit of work. Since I have been reflecting about Pakistan in recent posts, I thought that this poem about the last time I actually went there (1992-93) might be good to post. In all honesty, I think I rather need to reacquaint myself with Pakistan, its culture, and the its culture inside of me even more.
return
i stand and breathe
my last few gulps of air duty-free
shuffling up the aisle of this airlock
between atmospheres
soon i will be complete
torn into a duality
that appears unseamed in separate hemispheres
that tears each time they meet
at the touching of my sleeping eastern flesh
with east
i walk from the door
and I am me
in ways that i have not been for years
as thick warm eastern air enfolds me
and fills my lungs
displacing stale indifference
and leaves me coughing
sputtering
amidst these warm embraces
invading my protesting western space
amidst these cluttered streets
breaking life into me
more honest and complete
it may take some time to breathe
Random Poetry | By jackdas | 2:00 PM
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Comments
i like this poem. that moment of walking off the plane is kind of mystical. i always find myself holding my breath and then taking a huge lungful--usually smog and sandalwood are the first overpowering scents.
Posted by: amys at January 31, 2006 2:16 PM
...and the humidity is like waking into a wall of water, no an atmosphere of water. The air is thick and warm, almost sliceable.
Posted by: Neil at January 31, 2006 2:25 PM
