Tag: loss

Table for Two

Six Sentence Story prompt word – Space


The sun prints on the floor to give a hint of time.
I have been sitting in the chill for longer than I realise.
The coffee has gone cold, and the froth has gone undone.
People perhaps grow tired of me watching them, they call the bill swiftly.
This table is meant to be bridging our hands together.
But with your absence, the space between us grows apart further and deeper.

Deep in the Woods


The woods has memories

The flaxen sun plaited into the canopy of greens
Playful feet dipped in the cool stream
Lilac wildflowers witnessed their promises

The woods has memories

The trees whispered her name
He raged against the tree bark
Broken knuckles, virgin blood
The old well filled with tears
Covered by mossy sorrow

The woods has memories

A lost boy mourned his love
trapped in the woods
stuck in the loop of time
The trees whispered their names

Disaster Recovery


A tree
torn and shredded
by violent wind
collapses in fragments
is a tree no more

Months pass
no one can help
that cursed tree
bear fruits
until the will
to live
take roots

Then
it starts over
slowly
in the right season
it yearns for
the sun
again

We see
one fragment
of green
pushing through
the dirt

CD

I have kept this CD player
with our love story
hidden in the tracks
in case
you come to this cafe
again
we will share our love for music
just like the old days
before everything fell apart

Until then
I have no reason to revisit
the path we strolled along
hand in hand
sharing earphones
dancing to the beat
of our love songs

I wonder
will you blush
like you’ve always been
when you hear it plays
will you still
turn up the volume
trying to drown out
our heartbeats

I wonder
will I finally
allow myself
to break down
when realise
how much
I’m still
loving you

Forgiveness

This poem is dedicated to my fellow Instagrammer who survived Covid-19 but lost her mother in India. 🙏

Mama
do you remember
we spent long hours
on talking about my future
choice of men
ways to raise my children
and you would be
by my side
to guide me
to help me

Mama
that became just
fractions of memory
all of the sudden
took me by surprise
in such a violent way

I once was a soaring bird
with wings you gave me
Now
I am faltering
failing
falling so ever low
touching the pit
of my existence

Oh Mama
do you remember
you spent hours
on comforting me
nursing my wounds
restoring my strength

But Mama
when you needed me
I was too weak
to look up
I was too engrossed in
my own battle
I lost sight of you

Mama
forgive me

11 August 2020

A malnourished heart bled in broken melody
Would you still hear her devotion
A songbird choked on poison berries
Would you fight to nurse her back to health

I guess
most of us watched in horror
frozen in action
soon
became busy licking our own wounds

It is inevitable that
the heart stopped
the bird died

Sinking stone

We farewelled with a hug
after a lazy beach day
I complained about
your sweaty hot skin on mine
your breath burned my earlobe
I dived straight back in the sea
to cool off

When the police kicked down
your apartment door
you laid on the warm floor tiles
bathed in the hot afternoon sun

The coroner released you
in a numbered bag to the holding room
1-5°C was ideal for you

I stood staring at you
in front of the open casket
You looked cold and distant
took no notice of the flush pink
plastered on your face

All the eulogy givers tried so hard
to warm up the service with dead jokes
to comfort the mouners with inconsolable stories
to celebrate your life with cruel death’s doing

You are now a chill stone
tied around my ankle
sinking me forever into the deep blue
withholding your hot sweat
and burning breaths

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