And on some nights
I speak
in memoriam of the passing of time
collecting, like standing water
in the back of my mind
as though
in remembrance
of a life that holds no tricks, no parades in sight
instead
continuing in silence
unmoving like a figure sleeping
bead of sweat trickling
down
the back of her leg
in quiet desperation
dreaming of foreign routes to new faces
like calculated surprises ending in sickening sweetness
or rusting familiarity
in detached reflections
glimpsed upon
in the dusty window of a stranger’s car
wanting to exchange conversation for a sympathetic nod
and then setting free
in moments
of finality
a wave of change
how light can the water feel
just when I am convinced
that there is no sea for me
I see a crack // an opening
and I dive to where the light cannot reach.
Sasha Mahuli is based out of New Delhi. She studied English at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai and pursued a Liberal Studies diploma at Ashoka University thereafter. At the moment, for Sasha, each day is an attempt to write, to articulate the whims of the city, the years, and the seasons passing us by.