by Hasiba Raufi
people are passing
someone asks me for a lighter
he notices the tears
and leaves as quickly as he came
nobody wants to be involved
in the spectacle of a stranger
can’t blame him
i wouldn’t want that either
cigarettes
one after another
i don’t even notice
but now i’m feeling them
on my eighth
my lungs are sore
like a chimney
they burn
i want to die
girls are passing
looking surprised and confused
can’t blame them
i would look like that too
tell me what happened
that i’ve turned into this mess
a drama of my own
don’t know what happiness feels like anymore
all i want is to die
so badly
“you are like my parachute –
without you i would fall.”
mercury to the sun
© Hasiba Raufi 2023-09-01