Digging Press

Doorways
By Jamila-Khanom Allidina

1. I wrote a poem
   about doorways once,
   about the in and out
   of things, the lines
   between. Now
   when I think of
   doorways,
   I think of you
   two together
   tangled.
   My poem
   was better.
   –
2. Thresholds are about
   the in and out
   of things, the lines
   between. Doorways
   and borders
   and other things.
   On the threshold of
   doing a thing, of
   coming or going
   of leaving
   or staying.
   –
3. We will cross at least
   one border together, there
   and back again.
   They will maybe
   stop me, maybe
   search me. They will maybe
   put a hand on my
   thigh, pat and
   pat again, quick like a
   gunshot. They will maybe
   ask about names and
   addresses. They will ask about
   fruit. Maybe
   there are things
   the ins and outs of which
   you will never
   quite understand.
   –
4. We have crossed
   a threshold. We
   have maybe
   not yet
   decided
   not to go
   back.

–

Jamila-Khanom Allidina lives in Toronto. She has published in Jaggery and The Puritan. She holds an MFA from Columbia University.

–

Photo by: Gessy Alvarez