Doorways
By Jamila-Khanom Allidina
- I wrote a poem
about doorways once,
about the in and out
of things, the lines
between. Now
when I think of
doorways,
I think of you
two together
tangled.
My poem
was better.
– - Thresholds are about
the in and out
of things, the lines
between. Doorways
and borders
and other things.
On the threshold of
doing a thing, of
coming or going
of leaving
or staying.
– - We will cross at least
one border together, there
and back again.
They will maybe
stop me, maybe
search me. They will maybe
put a hand on my
thigh, pat and
pat again, quick like a
gunshot. They will maybe
ask about names and
addresses. They will ask about
fruit. Maybe
there are things
the ins and outs of which
you will never
quite understand.
– - We have crossed
a threshold. We
have maybe
not yet
decided
not to go
back.
–
Jamila-Khanom Allidina lives in Toronto. She has published in Jaggery and The Puritan. She holds an MFA from Columbia University.
–
Photo by: Gessy Alvarez
Excellent.
Terrific no frills poem that cuts deep.