Some (un)poetic Contiguities

 

Also published in The Bombay Literary Magazine https://bombaylitmag.com/?p=1192

The tea cup has broken

in the shape of your lip –

the way people break

when nudged by grief.

 

The ink has spilled near the pocket

in the shape of a territory –

the stain stays –

the way an occupier does.

 

The paperback has dog eared

around the edges –

the way Time arrives

as a wave.

 

The mirror has splintered

into fragments –

the way autumnal leaves crunch

when stepped over.

 

The door has been smeared

around the handle –

the way dark circles encamp

under the eyes.

 

The face has cultivated

pimples overnight –

the way poems arrive

in the midst of a crowd –

unrhymed.