Forcing A Poem
By Jehangir Saleh
Written: December 8, 2004

You believe
That tomorrow
We will find something
That answers the question
“Who am I?”

I believe
That who we are
Is a poem or a story
That we write, and re-write
Until the end of time

Our story
Like everyone’s story
Our book
Like all the books

About someone, somewhere
Trying to find the answer
To something
And ultimately
Realizing it was always with them
In the book on their shelf
The story of their grandmother
Footprints in the snow
Falling
The delicate crystals of ice
Falling toward the same ground

Tonight you are sad
But I’ll tell you a story
And tomorrow
You will know who you are

Subway Poem Song
By Jehangir Saleh
Written:  November  30, 2004

It was like
The answer to all our
Questions
on voice in the air
but no one stopped
as the subway musician sang
Hallelujah

And what if I told you
That everything
You are searching for
I already found?
You would kiss me
To silence

And keep on searching
For yourself

Circles
By: Jehangir Saleh
Written: November 17, 2004

I am trying to take a poem
On the subway
Not out of any sense of art
But there is something I want to figure out

Those two roads are equal
But one carries regret
Which, unfortunately, is the one most travelled

Love is a predictable need
Yet I find myself
Wanting to come
To you

Of course I am scared
Conflicted, that maybe we
Are making our way down the wrong road

But as I write this
On the subway
Falling asleep
Realizing
That if I fail
I would rather it be
With you

Poem For A Night And A Nation
By Jehangir Saleh
Written:  November 12, 2004

Though we are made hard
And I believe that there is no hope
Let me sit and listen to voices
That say they are wise
And tell me to believe

If you read this poem and you think
It is a bad poem
You’re probably right
If it were a poem
But it is a cure

Tonight is thick black silence
And the world is full of terrible things
Most of them already inside

There is nothing to do but wait
And not resist

I believe that one day the sun will rise
And followers like me will feel redeemed

But until that day comes
There is not possible world like this one
There is not man a brave as me
For a sit here
Writing a poem
Knowing I will die
And still writing

How many can say as much