Poem by Ashna Ali

DESCRIPTION
Published poem by Ashna Ali; “New York, I Love You” by Ashna Ali, black text on white background, from Sun Dog Lit Website.

Poem Text:
The mornings that the hot clench fastens
my chest to my belly, I wonder who might

see beyond my big grin bounce, suspect
that my day’s first sound is sputter. It doesn’t

matter. Who among us has not defaulted, by now,
to the permanence of getting by. What good does it do

to say, friend, I am drowning. We have lived for years
like we are not island people. Still, I’ve grown out

my hair, spent my night picking at a guitar
over beers under moonlight. A Chicago poet

told me the wells under my eyes are pain
anthologies, door stopper dense. The whole house

of me has its windows, entrances, exits,
blown open, for good. It happens. Buffeted

and tubular, I am a station thick with commuters,
headless chickens with no destination bobbing my secrets

back at me. How could I be lonely
in this cacophony. My Vermont lover says babe,

you’re made for that city. This filth in which we
refuse to look up but are always gazing

deep in the mirror, begging.

ADDITIONAL METADATA
Subject(s): Ashna Ali
Type: Text
Language: English

PROVENANCE
Collection: Nureena Faruqi Fellowship Project
Item History: 2024-07-03 (created); 2024-08-12 (modified)

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