“Heartache” by Ayesha F. Hamid

Mid-morning rain runs over windshield
while arms tingle, chest aches.

In the off chance this is a heart attack,
I pull over, turn on the hazards
slouch in the car and wait for death.

Who will find me – an angel
with sleep still in its eyes
who takes time to call for help,
or someone like you,
too selfish to stand or sit,
too busy listening to the whispers
of demons in your own head.

“One by One” by Ayesha F. Hamid

Your ashes will sit in a lifeless urn
of dead stone, on a table of dark tone.

Your remains will wait quietly
till you are called back by the One
to be put back together again
to be given back everything
tumors took away
one by one
your body healed, your eyes of soft hue
red blood back, flowing forward and through
so your whole face is lit up again.

Then, resplendence
with the feeling of warming light
without guilt, without pain
when finally one day
we will see you again.

“Passage” by Ayesha F. Hamid

When you needed passage, I pulled you into
my burning boat, protecting you from waters
bitterly cold, and in that safety,
I wished we could have stayed always.

but you knew I was a resident of
an already descending day
so you created a considerable space
between you and me, choosing not to see
my forfeited forever, my given eternity.

If only your eyes would have given you away.
Instead, expressionless and opaque, your face stone
as I carried you along, nothing to give, nothing to say,
but still holding on, biding your time
till end of day, waiting for a new dawn.