Ilona Yusuf
The poem first appeared in The Aleph Review, Vol. 2 (2018).
i
like rex manuel
dapper short
shining deeply dark
in a red cap and checked scarf
drummer and pianist
from 30s madras
who danced
bandy legged
as he played
who taught me
to strike chords
with force and joy
sans looking
blind
this is how
I want to ride it
ii
focused steady
fingers flicking switches
tight on turns
against gears
feet rocking pedals
unity control motion
feeling it vibrate
through me—
this engine—
energy
from the sides of my eyes
the landscape
curving with the road
or following straight
for mile on mile
this is how
I want to ride it
iii
slick quick
eyeballing it
knowing it will stick
I’ve got it right
I’ve struck the apple at its heart.
Portrait of Ilona Yusuf by Samina Ali Akhtar. The artist, a close friend of the poet’s, holds a master’s in fine arts from the Punjab University. She has worked there and at the National College of Arts, Lahore, as a lecturer. For the most part, her richly layered mixed media paintings recreate tableaux depicting the colourful, opulent life of the Mughal Empire.