Sunday, June 15, 2008

Call Me Ishmael Tonight (select verses)

Ghazal By: Agha Shahid Ali

Where are you now? Who lies beneath your spell tonight
before you agonize him in farewell tonight?

Pale hands that once loved me beside the Shalimar:
Whom else from rapture's road will you expel tonight?

Those "Fabrics of Cashmere–" "to make Me beautiful–"
"Trinket"–to gem–"Me to adorn–How–tell"–tonight?

I beg for haven: Prisons, let open your gates
A refugee from Belief seeks a cell tonight.

And I, Shahid, only am escaped to tell thee
God sobs in my arms. Call me Ishmael tonight.

from Call Me Ishmael Tonight © 2003

You can read more about the poet in the Saudi Aramco Article, http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200104/a.gift.of.ghazals.htm

or you can visit the publisher http://www.nortonpoets.com/alia.htm

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