House of Dreams: Two poems by Junaid Ahangar
Photo: Karan Madhok
‘Things lying around, still, cautious / Tell-tale signs, of nothing / Butter, a knife and a pen / A diary of poems now lost’
Maryam’s Gospel Rhyme
what was the earliest house you built made of she asked
grass i said, hoping to indulge her
well then the wind must have blown it away, she quipped
it did
what was the next house you built made of she asked
mud i said, hoping to humour her
well then the flood must have washed it away she giggled
it did
what was the next house you built made of she asked
wood i said, hoping to brighten her
well then the fire must have burnt it down she declared
it did
what was the next house you built made of she asked
bricks and concrete i said, hoping to stump her
well then the bulldozer must have razed it to the ground she sighed
it did
what was the next house you built made of she asked
it’s the house we live in now my darling, and it’s made of dreams
well then what if time runs out she mused
it does.
*
Madonna in a Fur Coat
I am reading Madonna in a Fur Coat
Thinking of a cold day in the sun
A silent night
The idea of rain
Things lying around, still, cautious
Tell-tale signs, of nothing
Butter, a knife and a pen
A diary of poems now lost
What did I even write for
Who did I write to
How long have I been here?
A clamp cold corridor
Now that I am remember my first kiss
***
Junaid Ahmed Ahangar works as a doctor in a tertiary care institute in Srinagar, Kashmir. He graduated from Dhaka, Bangladesh and completed his MD from Srinagar, Kashmir. He also has an MA in English Literature and is poised to complete his MA in Philosophy. He has published poems and short stories in The San Antonio Review, The Shallow Tales Review, The Hellebore Press, Midsummer Dream House, The Argyle Literary Magazine, The Passionfruit Review, Osmosis Press, Outside the Box Literary Magazine, The Asahi Shimbun, The Argyle Literary Magazine, LoftBooks Volume V. and more. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2025. You can find him on X: @AmbivalentRants and Instagram: @junaidahangar.
