Looking at the waxing moon,

I hum softly one of our favorites.

Blowing smoke rings,

You  look up at the starry night;

Counting stars and trying to figure out constellations.



‘It's an Orion’ you say,

Breaking the silence of the night.

I look away, skipping stones into the brook.

As the fog settles over,

Your Orion disappears beneath.



Distracted, you pick up your stranded ukulele

Adjusting the broken strings, you sing

“Apki nazron ne samjha;

Pyar ke kabil mujhe”

I chuckle at the parody.



Writhing in trauma,

I resent your poignant emotions.

Even after years of distress, you thought

You had me cold.



I shudder, brushing my vulnerability away.

Embracing the empty fog.

You lie down on the grass.

Sheathing myself from the toxicity around,

I leave.