Strange

By Samreen Taufique

‘Strange’, is a short compilation describing few feelings. I wrote and described it with reference to different people I met.

THORNY LOVE

That voice which I yearn to listen whole day long. It gives me a sense of comfort. My heart beats and my skin feels tingly. Even when it says simple things, I drown in its flow. My world smells like dandelions and lavenders when it is there but when it goes, everything feels empty. It is there rarely, so rarely that sometimes I forget it’s rhythm. It comes as a hidden predator leaping on it’s prey and disappears like a mayfly. It goes too quickly making me yearn for it. More and more.

Those drunk eyes. I am not sure if those are drunk or me. Its stare gives me chills and its glimpse flutters everything. Sometimes it’s

chilling as the rain wind and sometimes like a strong warm coffee, that keeps me awake

whole night. When I can’t see those, my eyes don’t wish to see anything else.

Those lips are rosy whose smile turns my grievance to happiness. They are like that one glass of red wine, I always have, bitter but attractive.

Every moment of there is breath taking yet choking. When they approach me, I feel like a whole person and yet it breaks me like a piece of glass when it is too close.

I want to be held, silently breathing within those arms. I am desperate, so desperate that it hurts now.

2- SORROWFUL WORLD

The vast sea is in front of her. It is stretched so far that its end meets with the sky. She wants to reach that end. Her feet are smudged in sand and her eyes are sparkly, maybe because of the sunset or something else. She doesn’t feel it anymore, the wetness of warm droplets falling down her cheeks.

The first time she realised the value of those tears, she was determined not to waste it but now, she doesn’t even care.

The wind is dry, the air around her feels itchy. She again looks ahead to the sea, stopping the urge to feel the cool water around her and letting go of all things.

Her fingers are numb and her body stiff. Her mind won’t let her rest. She keeps on

remembering distinct voices, faces, laughs, warmth and sobs. Somewhere in her hearts, she feels a little happiness, those used to make her happy but now, it brings chaos and disaster in her. It Pierce her thousand times until her heart bleeds to end. Until those memories haunt her.

The sun is almost invisible, it leaves a little shade of red and orange on the surface of water, dancing and displaying the existence of something bright that is gone now. It will come back again but for now, everything looks gloomy

The sea Is crying, sobbing in its continuous waves.

She hears those voices again, Her own voices but they are scary. They whisper so lightly that she almost miss it. It wants her to recognise it.

It urge her to coil herself with her hands on her ears, although she knows that it won’t stop. Her feet lift themselves unconsciously as she attempt to escape. She ambles over to the beginning of the sea leaving footprints behind that will soon disappear along with the covering darkness.

Her feet touched the water, then the knees and up to the chest, the sand dissolving away from her body. She hears her heart drumming against her ribs, she hears the loud wails of waves around her. The scary voices subsiding, making her relax.

The soles of her feet wet sand as they struggle to be on the ground. She still wants to go ahead and she does.

On some point it will all be gone and she will hear nothing, see nothing and feel nothing. She wishes for it desperately.

Her name, her identity and her being will be lost. Some will mourn and some will celebrate. Maybe, someday there will be people who will come to this exact place, searching for her. For which she wants her soul to be lost too. She pray the gods for it.

3- ANGER

It is choking him from inside. Every heartbeat of his can be felt. His jaw is clenched hard and eyes are red, terrifying. He takes a long breath to steady himself, to calm down but it doesn’t help. His fist are balled so tightly that his nails are almost cutting the delicate skin of his palms. He feels the pain, but the pain stops his from doing something unnecessary so he doesn’t stop the assault on his palms. It is a warning to himself to stay controlled, and not let your inner demons out.

He feels bile rising inside him as he takes another breath. There is a storm inside him and just a wooden shelter to prevent it. He feels a lump in his throat, tears almost

escaping out. His eyes hold many possibilities. Anytime now, he would let his inner demons out and lash out. But even after the storm has passed and everything is silent again. The shelter would be destroyed as he will lay there , hurt and regretful. His anger would only drown him further. What he will do will have consequences later, and it’s every bit of experience will haunt him.

By Samreen Taufique