AJMAL KHAN A.T. - POEMS

Ajmal Khan A.T is a bilingual writer who writes in English and Malayalam, his mother tongue. His English poetry collection My Tolerant Nation is published (forthcoming) by Wings & roots (2017) and Malayalam one line story collection Museebat (2017) published by Monsoon Books, Mumbai. His poems have featured in Muse India,  Bangalore Review, Peeking Cat Poetry Magazine, Tump Print Magazine, Beyond the rainbow literary magazine, Cafe Dissensus Magazine and The Sunflower collective among others. His poems have also appeared in anthologies including GOSSAMER; An anthology of contemporary world poetry by Kindle Magazine.

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Rejected poem 
​

​The poem was accused
as anti national
and rejected
like a US visa applicant
from Muslim country
It wanted to prove as nationalist
It started with Vande matharam
the continuing lines were only nouns
of the independence struggles
in which the poem was part of
Rest of the lines were written in Green,
White and Kesari in color
Signed on the lines which start with J&K
that they are integral part
it ended with national anthem
The poem was again rejected
on the grounds
it had two names Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan
in the foot note
syntax had no saffron and khaki pattern
Moplah rebellion is included as one line
and instead of 1947
its written Azaadi.
 

My missing poem
​

​My poem said to be missing
by the editor
I got a formal letter today saying
"Your poem is missing and we regret to inform you that
we can't publish missing poems"
I had sent it via Registered post
signing on the poem
He had to sign on the register
to accept my poem
and on the records he has singed on it
Still he says my poem is missing
Did any ABVP goons assaulted my poem
after the editor singed on it?
This time my poem had a Muslim name
unlike last time
it had a Dalit name then
Editor didn’t accept my last poem saying
I haven’t attached an original
Scheduled Caste Certificate
since they found the attached certificate is fake
Now I didn’t have any Muslim certificate to attach with
but he might be sure of it
from the syntax, adjectives, verbs and rhymes
that its a Muslim before it was "missed" between the editors
Where does all the missing poem goes?
To the dust bin of the editor and then
to the dumping wastes ?
Until a new poem being written and published
the idea of my poem see no light
Unless my poem is found in between by the police
or the dead body of my poem found in editors dust bin.
 
 
 

8 ways to look at a cow in India 
​

​1. Did the Hindus never eat beef?
Dr. Ambedkar said yes
they did
 
 
2. Cow is a holy animal- said the Brahmin
and waited for Dalit
to remove the dead cow



3. "The cow and the bull are sacred
and therefore should be eaten"-
Apastamba Dharma Sutra
 
 
4. Aklaq didn’t ate it-
the postmortem report
and forensic report
 
 
5. There are only Muslims and Dalits killed
in the race of Gauraksha
why?
 
 
6. Urine and cow dung
the holy profit
than milk
 
 
 
7. Who got the profit of cow?
Mosalman butcher?
or the Bhaniya merchants and exporters?
or the Saffron?
 
 
8. Again one more killed
was told, he ate beef
No one asked,
if he had food to eat.
 
 
 
 
 

Gulbarg Society
​

​A black cat is still hanging around here and there
for many years now
since 2002
The old blood scars have become back
like the colour of the the cat skin
Spiders have conveniently made nets
that covered many of the scars
Pigeons have made nests on the chimney
which were burned
There is silence everywhere
a deadly silence
the silence coming out of the fear of danger
the colour of the fear is the colour of the burned dresses of kids
while they were burned alive
The word truth is capable to shake the founding
stones of this building
The dusty case files in the Supreme court and High court
have become food for termites
The wind that use to come some times from the East
and embrace the building says
"wait the truths will come out one day
you have to wait until justice come"
It has been long time since wind came
Its scared of the cat, spiders or termites ?