Being Home

By Safa Mahmood

i will never leave my home;

i buried the seeds of my love

in the garden’s soil to grow

its branches till the ether above.

even when the paint cracks in places

i shall color it in by myself;

even when the flowers wither in their vases

i shall put the sun upon my shelf.

even when the floor is worn & creaking

i shall lay stone down with my hands;

even when all the taps take turn in leaking

i shall use it to wash the carpets i have.

even when rainwater on the roof is seeping

i shall bathe inside my bedroom & dance;

even when the neighborhood is sleeping

i shall keep alight our sleepless romance.

even when you believe you are not enough

to keep me warm & content anymore,

i shall circle my arms around you & engulf

you in the reciprocal feeling of being home.

By Safa Mahmood