What did one atom say to the other?
The sun blows kisses to the moon,
but rapture, for us, resides in
stringed bulbs and striped teapots.
The leaf fringed brick walls
of Café Sol bear witness
to the hum of low-voltage nightlife,
where the whiffling of playing cards
and the curls and loops of smoke
are what contentment is made of.
Now here you are:
brushing your fingers
nonchalantly against mine
like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Our eyes don’t meet but
who needs eye contact?
The spaces between us breathe;
your atoms reach towards mine.
Somewhere, someone is singing.
Sidrah Akhtar, 32, is a teacher by day and a collector of hobbies by night. She dabbles in many interests such as reading literature, writing, photography, art and painting, martial arts, hiking etc. Writing poetry is her first love, ever since the age of 13 and is her most personal pursuit. She has a particular penchant for writing short pieces focused on strong images encapsulating a moment in time.