el st am ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁ep ig raph , ▁inv oking ▁K ash mir ▁itself : ▁ ▁For ▁Ali , ▁" home " ▁largely ▁refers ▁to ▁an ▁" im ag inary ▁hom eland " ▁l aden ▁with ▁di as por ic ▁feelings . ▁By ▁beginning ▁with ▁Mand el st am ' s ▁poem , ▁Ali ▁tries ▁to ▁bring ▁out ▁the ▁she er ▁scale ▁of ▁the ▁tra ged y ▁in ▁K ash mir ▁by ▁comparing ▁it ▁with ▁Joseph ▁St alin ' s ▁Russia . ▁The ▁collection ▁covers ▁them es ▁such ▁as ▁ex ile , ▁post - colon ial ism , ▁and ▁communication ▁( both ▁em otion ally ▁and ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁self - know ledge ). ▁Ali ' s ▁poetry ▁also ▁addresses ▁the ▁K ash mi ri ▁P and it ▁community ; ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁po ems ▁in ▁the ▁collection ▁is ▁dedicated ▁to ▁Su vir ▁Ka ul . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁poem ▁titled ▁" H ans ▁Christian ▁Ost ro ", ▁about ▁a ▁Norwegian ▁tour ist ▁who ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁Al - F aran ▁milit ants ▁in ▁K ash mir ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁Daniel ▁Hall ▁called ▁this ▁poem ▁" the ▁most ▁po ign ant ▁of ▁Shah id ' s ▁political ▁po ems ". ▁ ▁In ▁another ▁poem ▁of ▁the ▁collection , ▁" I ▁See ▁K ash mir ▁from ▁New ▁Del hi ▁at ▁Mid night ", ▁Ali ▁tries ▁to ▁imagine ▁the ▁violence ▁in ▁K ash mir , ▁going ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁to ▁say , ▁" Don ' t ▁tell ▁my