tenants

the noise from our dishes being washed
our whispers

disturb the man downstairs
& his dogs—

the fact that I am from Pakistan
his generalizations

disturb the man downstairs
& his dogs—

that i love you i love you
with my foreign tongue

disturbs the man downstairs
& his dogs—

that I listen with wild ears
as you play guitar

disturbs the man downstairs
& his dogs—

i whisper to boys in the street
that i’m leaving

telling them of stacks
of bicycles in the basement

& how the last time i saw snow
was in north Pakistan when i was five

disturbs the man downstairs
& his dogs—