U & I
(1)
My sinews are soon to be wired
My memory will be kept in a cloud;
My tooth will be blue -
Still I'll be one click away from you.
(2)
On the other side of the mirror
I reside
On this side of the mirror
I reside
On both sides of the mirror—
Reside
You!
(3)
Let's say that the machine
Is a man
That works
To convert
One energy
To another;
To convert
I in two —
You!
(4)
You know what -
I hate you!
(5)
I know that
The feeling is mutual.
(6)
What's wrong with you?
You the one
Who can make me perfect
Is far from ...
You!
(7)
Let us go then
You and I -
Yeah, sure
Why not ?
After all
You and I
Are us —
That resides
On both sides
Of the mirror
(8)
Our hands shake
Time is on our side;
A machine
That needs key;
A machine
That needs winding;
A machine
That needs alignment
With time
That is
— in the cloud.
(9)
When clouds merge
They drop pitter-patter
They sound like-
You and I
who are out there -
Maybe on a tin roof
Or in a song
That is
I-tem!
(10)
Are you sure
We are on both sides of a mirror?
And not of a glass?
Because I can see us, you know!
Shaking hands,
Giving time,
— like in a movie machine
— all too mechanical
Where a 'I'
Likes a 'You'
(December 28, 2019)
Shamsad Mortuza is Professor of English, University of Dhaka. Currently on leave, he is the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of ULAB.
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