Death by Rejected Visa Application
by Waqas Naeem
Death came for Ibne Batuta,
as a bandit first
and then
a shipwreck,
and in a storm again,
and again
as a palace intrigue.
He escaped each time,
until the last,
to die
when no one really cared if he lived anymore,
not even Death,
nor Ibne Batuta.
Musical composition by Victor David Sandiego
Waqas Naeem is a college teacher, journalist and part-time poet. He currently teaches journalism and communication at the National University of Sciences & Technology in Islamabad, Pakistan. He has previously worked for The Express Tribune as a news reporter, translates news stories for Global Voices Online and his poems have appeared in Papercuts and Asian Reflections. He also works as the volunteer-director of the South Asian literary community, the Desi Writers' Lounge.
Smile.