The Eiffel Tower blinks dumb golden tonight—
Microwave beeps, again
Seeking attention. When I think of mistakes
Recent, others worn out
in the playground of stronger boys
Who picked me last
Always
shunning difference, nice
Hermetically sealed club. I watched
on from afar, acid rejection
Sour on the tongue
craving. Now a wind
flays the balcony edge
I sit watching Paris darken
Blacker than winter in a foreign land
When home is a sun
Left behind.
Teacup sits in microwave prison
Although not brown as I am
But white and confident,
Cold—occupying space, something to learn
Before the end. You always
Were proud of me,
Of simple us. Laughter and wit
Specks of cosmic dust
Until chemo engulfed joy
But couldn’t the spirit of you.
Tejas Yadav is a polyglot writer and scientist whose work has been published in Burnt Roti, Active Muse, Borderless Journal, Tiny Buddha and Literary Traveler etc.
Featured image illustration by Pariplab Chakraborty.