every journal has a story of a hi
that eventually turned into a lifeboat —
there are names that bring warmth to the mouth,
a taste so familiar,
like water.
their shoulder so strong, badged with suns,
that your head caves in and dies,
their lips always quiver in rhythm
with your water-soaked eyes —
after long days you meet — tired and dead —
only to sleep on the same bed side-by-side.
they hoard all tellings and retellings
of the stories that make you hollow in the gut,
with an innocuous nod that helps you survive.
you stage trauma and passion and
well-rounded tearful joy
with aerial gestures, jumping like a possessed loon
as you talk far, far into a drunken night.
there are distances that only bring more homes,
a feeling so secure
like an ageing friendship
and its secret tryst.
Rachit Sharma is a poet, a facilitator, and an obsessive napper. For the last five years, he worked within the full scope of operations at Youth Alliance. Currently, he leads Gramya Manthan – a rural-immersion cum leadership program, Organizational Communications, and Team Development Processes. Rachit spent his early years working with tribal communities and grassroots organisations in remote regions of Mizoram and Chhattisgarh. His poetry has found a home on several Indian and international literary platforms.
Featured image: Call Me Fred / Unsplash