Folded - Long Distance

Folded- Long Distance
by Shaheen Sultan Dhanji

If I folded...
If I once folded myself and sent me to you
in place of the usual crinkled letters,
or so I imagined. What would you do
if it was me in your postbox, not photographs?

Would you read me over one hundred times
the way I do with each smile you send
long distance? Would you break the pantomimes
the oceans made me think would never end?

I know what you'd do: iron the folds out.
pin me to the wall in your bed-room
where I could hear your voice of silence shout
in person, and let me hear your songs,
songs of freedom

From which you seek refuge
you sing ghazals with bold finesse
and I dance on the memory of when we were un-divided

Some would say your silence is not so bad
and that you are living well in freedom,
but all I see inside your eyes is a story...
Story of a king without his kingdom.