the cry of the afakasi

a child runs on a oneway street in bombay to strangers thinking them parents turning home
an old bookshop in a hidden lodge away from the food stall in hawkers bay chandavarkar lane
a kid dragged over cow dung as mom works and a slow hatred makes him red hot in rains to kill
an ocean in her eyes in 1992 as she flees to LA a promise made to a dying uterus cancer tear drop
elvis hits anand in a big way murali returns from singapore bangkok sydney melbourne with rod
a singer is born ahead of a maroon curtain as jailhouse brings the house down from bad to goodboy]
a ring is lost and honesty established on bhagya nagar sands as cycles fly in an honour fight
garlic brings an aroma to a million pores in the room where grandad sung hymns to a jain god
the jain god is in 26th century first cousin to the buddha 25th tirthankar suching for nirvana
a tired photographer returns to two children and a wife half punjabi half gujarati believes love
a fast bowler breaks stumps on the wall with a red rubber ball whom does he hate where the power belong
a married woman finds love in his arms as they hold forever before they kiss and kiss forever before a spell
a black magician sends his black shirt packing as his reiki lover tells him after business collapses
an argentenian loves him with the tenacity of a scorpion woman but not more than emma. emma was his goddess
a parnell church comes tumbling down with ghosts anglican past pass on par with the tear he shed next week
the eden church knows his name and auckland and new zealand love and hate him as their own as waves tumble
northcote no no it was milford's madness to a dark grey ocean as moon burnt it with a white light
jamie promised him and christian gave him his word that may will be june too soon as empty houses
a book keeper sells him a book that he loves and a steffi that hit the ball in his court. he loves her
as marshes gave him strength in his legs and legs carried his poetry on the escalator on mom's b'day
the librarian loved him and he lost her as the bp petrol station caught fire in a tintin book black gold
winston did not want him year but symonds million ghosts sang his tune as steffi brought tears to columbus
it rains. it snows. it storms as he waits. neither here nor there. neither bombay nor wellington. she knows
she can see everything. decipher the space between words as he drops one ace and picks 11. bad boy
trees shine with grey melancholy as they find solace in black arms. his charishma came with a price
mom said he was born here only for her. he was of there. he hated his ilk not out of wannabe fever
out of being a stranger in every city and hearing poetry in every language and crying tears of many colours
he was not one of their own nor belonged to the ones he loved – who loved him as northshore softly bleeds today.

on a bright day

Mrs Bhatia declared her stuttering son
spoke in a Kiwi accent proudly
I was sure it was South Auckland Otara mangere
with a dash of Hunter's Corner
I did not argue
After all, her son had joined the army
to spill his blood in a foreign land
a very kiwi thing to do!