Home
Where the sun loops itself around your neck
Drapes around your shoulder And you walk In your dusty sandals Like a moon king or a sun queen
Down the narrow street Insects clicking in distant fields
Home where your name is pronounced
With the spirit of a prayer Khalil
Friendship Calling you in at dusk
Syllables of endearment
Rani Shahzadi princess
Petal Phool kumara
Home is sleeping on floors
On roofs
On star bright nights
Open air story telling
Stories of the itinerant soul
Coming to visit
Welcome oh guest
Soo maal,
Let us offer you a drink of milk Wood fired chicken Cardamom spiced vegetables and sorghum
A smoking plate of Frankincense and myrrh
Let us scatter crystals of uranium and quartz
At your feet
Tell you tales of Camels
Leopards and a five pointed star
Come Let us talk to the trees
How are you? Poplars and date palms Let’s confer with the creatures
Iska warran? Golden jackals and gazelles
But wait the gazelles are standing
Stock still with fright
And look the jackal is running
Running for it’s life
(Extract from 'Making Manchester', Part 1 - Home. Poetry by Shamshad Khan and commissioned by Olympias Music in June 2019).
Two performances of Making Manchester will take place on 27/28th June at Niamos Radical Arts Centre. Tickets for are £5 and available from Skiddle, Tickets For Good or on the door.
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