pain – Page 22 – Hearts Still Care

Love

Published on July 18, 2020July 18, 2020 by Harpreet ChhachhiaLeave a comment

When you tore through my clothes
And took my body in you,
That wasn’t the time love came –
For me, love-making wasn’t new.

Love snuck in with stories
And acceptance and giving;
Grew with knowledge and hope;
And fights, that bring forgiving.

I can live through it all,
Love does not alter for me,
Though it brightens the world,
Or can shatter this galaxy.

If I see you again,
It will flare up, it isn’t proud,
It doesn’t die or unlearn,
For all who love me warn loud.

So I’ll entreat the sky,
And write it all down in verse,
I’ll beg time to be kind –
Maybe make karma reverse.

Okay

Published on July 13, 2020 by Harpreet Chhachhia1 Comment

Everyday people ask
“How are you?”
And I say,
“I am okay.”
I mention my body.
No broken bones.
No Covid-19.
No cancer.
Intact.

The inside of my heart though,
I wonder if I can talk about it.
Myocardium.
It’s said to be the thickest.
It has to be.
It houses abstractions.
Raw, mind-numbing wounds:
The fear of a future.
The betrayal of promises.
The neglect of hope.
The presence of love.
The sounds of monsoon birds
Silenced by “it’s not you, it’s me”.
Sensitive, burning, bloody
Awe
Of those who move on.

That part –
That part is not okay.
Every breath serrates it.
Like ice on a chipped tooth.
Like wires under nails.

But I can’t say this.
So, everyday,
I say, I am okay.