By Mohammad Ayub
Land of the Bird
By Mohammad Ayub
Somewhere here I sat and chirruped
Somewhere here I joined the chorus
Somewhere here we hid ourselves
From hawks, among acacia and jujuba trees
Somewhere here is the thatch and the hut
Where I nested season after season
Somewhere here is the parapet
Where I first fed my mate
Somewhere here is the furrow, that strip
Where I foraged for millet,
Dodging stones
This is the place where it all came to pass
Or am I deluded?
Was it another wholesome land?
Dr Ayub is a consultant psychiatrist in the UK,
See also: Where Have all the Lotas Gone?, Resistance Art and Literature
