Chance (un)Encounters (II)

Out of the corner of my eye,
head tilted just so,
I can glimpse your black jacket,
hand in jean pocket
as if everything is fine and
my breath isn’t caught.
Just a little
skipped beat, and
your feet are already moving away.

I stay
where I am a dying ember
waiting for you to breathe life into,
give back the breath you took with you
when you walked past,
the wind in your aftermath
blew me out,
blew me away

From you.
But I stay,
too scared and proud to run after you,
tell myself you might come back.

Even dying flames dance before they fade.




-12/?/2011

©Farhana Jahan

Chance (un)Encounters (I)

come stand by me.
doubt the sun from your window and
because by chance i came prepared,
but you thought you’d risk it,
let me offer you a small reprieve.

i’ll raise my elbow
try to stand a little taller,
your hunched warm breath
won’t stop slanting rain from the left,
but will make it (quite) bearable.

we, an island in the season
of downcast eyes
as if raindrops will be
misinterpreted as tears,
look away.

sound is swallowed
by more sound.
we only have
brief glances,
infinite allusions.

across the million refractive dreams
on their way down to pave moments in
the grand sequence

the light will change
you

into green, into get away, into
thankyoubutimokay;
we go separately, but,
just for a moment,
won’t you

come stand with me.




-11/19/2011

©Farhana Jahan