She Tries

By Shaili Rachha

To feel weak is to fall to one’s knees and stare into the depths of brown eyes

To see beyond the oceans of chocolate and rosewood and honey.

To feel weak is to stare into a sheet of glass

And see only impressions staring back.

To be weak is to be scared, scared of that which will never hide under your bed

To be weak is to be worried, to be scarred

To close your eyes and see only darkness from dizzying splotches of light

To look at folded ink on paper and see only ink peering back.

The dancing shapes and colour of life wrung dry

To be pulled from emotion

To dare to glance at the frothy mouth and babbling voice of the ocean

And see only clear tasteless water glancing back.

O life, to be numbed at the senses

To die too early and die every day since then

O God, to be devoid of love

One day, she must think, she will never be weak again.

By Shaili Rachha