Origami Letters: A Response Poem (to Agha Shahid Ali’s Stationery)

By: Dechen Tamang

The moon fell,
In slivers of silver pages
For you and me
To write to each other
I remember once,
When the world still remained upright,
Unchaotic,
I tucked a strand of sunlight hair
Behind your ear and whispered
‘I’m better at writing words
Than saying them’
Now, we have only
But written words between us

I’d give all of
This paper world,
Moonbeams of silver reams,
People of origami dreams
Lives of caged fear overturned
I’d give all of it away In exchange
For your touch upon my own,
And your voice mingling with mine

But the moon fell,
For you and me
To write to each other,
So please,
​
​Don’t stop writing to me