Cobblestone Tears by Sheikha A.

Lampposts at the base loosen their steel

under the force of moss. The curtains

of my room are statues of fountains,

arching perceptively against the smoke

in the wind. Flowers pressed between bars

of iron gates, paper fans against luscious 

velvet – this house has survived contrasts.

You will know my city for its beauty – 

the nightly binging on shadows – voices

that pry into sprouting pods. Feet scale 

towards an immeasurable sky. You will

never see a string of birds free like the kite.

Pigeons coiling their wings on unknown 

rooftops, squabbles with domestic eagles.

April has arrived last night with a bang

of flies. Somewhere else, a neighbour 

hadn’t switched off their lights.

Sheikha A. is from Pakistan and United Arab Emirates. Her work appears in over 100 literary venues, both print and online, including several anthologies by different presses. More about her can be found on sheikha82.wordpress.com.