In Another World In Another World
by Rasaq Malik by Rasaq Malik
In another world I want to be a father without In another world I want to be a father without
passing through the eternal insanity of mourning passing through the eternal insanity of mourning
my children, without experiencing the ritual my children, without experiencing the ritual
of watching my children return home as bodies of watching my children return home as bodies
folded like a prayer mat, without spending my folded like a prayer mat, without spending my
nights telling them the stories of a hometown nights telling them the stories of a hometown
where natives become aliens searching for where natives become aliens searching for
a shelter. I want my children to spread a mat a shelter. I want my children to spread a mat
outside my house and play without the walls outside my house and play without the walls
of houses ripped by rifles. I want to watch my children of houses ripped by rifles. I want to watch my children
grow to recite the name of their homeland like Lord’s grow to recite the name of their homeland like Lord’s
Prayer, to frolic in the streets without being hunted Prayer, to frolic in the streets without being hunted
like animals in the bush, without being mobbed to like animals in the bush, without being mobbed to
death. In another world I want my children to tame death. In another world I want my children to tame
grasshoppers in the field, to play with their dolls in the grasshoppers in the field, to play with their dolls in the
living room, to inhale the fragrance of flowers waving living room, to inhale the fragrance of flowers waving
as wind blows, to see the birds measure the sky with as wind blows, to see the birds measure the sky with
their wings. their wings.
In Another World In Another World
by Rasaq Malik by Rasaq Malik
In another world I want to be a father without In another world I want to be a father without
passing through the eternal insanity of mourning passing through the eternal insanity of mourning
my children, without experiencing the ritual my children, without experiencing the ritual
of watching my children return home as bodies of watching my children return home as bodies
folded like a prayer mat, without spending my folded like a prayer mat, without spending my
nights telling them the stories of a hometown nights telling them the stories of a hometown
where natives become aliens searching for where natives become aliens searching for
a shelter. I want my children to spread a mat a shelter. I want my children to spread a mat
outside my house and play without the walls outside my house and play without the walls
of houses ripped by rifles. I want to watch my children of houses ripped by rifles. I want to watch my children
grow to recite the name of their homeland like Lord’s grow to recite the name of their homeland like Lord’s
Prayer, to frolic in the streets without being hunted Prayer, to frolic in the streets without being hunted
like animals in the bush, without being mobbed to like animals in the bush, without being mobbed to
death. In another world I want my children to tame death. In another world I want my children to tame
grasshoppers in the field, to play with their dolls in the grasshoppers in the field, to play with their dolls in the
living room, to inhale the fragrance of flowers waving living room, to inhale the fragrance of flowers waving
as wind blows, to see the birds measure the sky with as wind blows, to see the birds measure the sky with
their wings. their wings.
