The Story Teller Poem by Sadiqullah Khan

We were waiting for you
The signs did tell us
You were coming
And then the news of your arrival
Every body restless
Waiting in the caravan inn
A dusty evening
You were late
Ask some one
Oh that caravan has arrived
But nothing about you
Said the keeper of the inn
A little later
You arrived
Tired
Luggage in your hands
Dust in the hairs
Clothes fagged
Eyes beaming red
Shoes worn out
We all greeted you
Encircled you
Exhausted look on your face
A travel
From far off place
Well
Some troubles in the journey
Some gifts
Sweets exotic
A small pack of black cloth
Sewn inside another pack of black silk
Beads and flowers
Clove and sandalwood
Whose heart have you won
Let us see
Almonds and hazelnuts
For the journey
Remembrance
A call from the distant land
A gift worth thousand gifts
The inn
With mud walls and green doors
An arched veranda
Room with dull light
And you started
Story of the journey
From the lands of Kahf
To Paristan (land of fairies)
And treasures
And bazaars
Beauteous faces
Damsels with black eyes
The robberies
And camels
The silk route
The green tea…
Night passing by
Before the end of the story
Every body was asleep
Don’t end the story
We will hear it again and again
And many such stories
When you will visit
The land of beauty
So you are the teller
Of the first story
Of thousand and one stories
(In Qissa-Khwani Bazaar* Peshawar)
(*storytellers street)