Chai and Chrysanthemum by Mahnoor Rehan

Chai and Chrysanthemum

My heart leans

Towards abomination

You— Earliest ray of sunshine

Walking sack of calculated calories

Abyss, philanthropy

I follow the squirrels as they hop from one willow to

another

When I leave my world behind just to play a minuscule

part in yours

White Chrysanthemum disguised

As a human

Bang bang

Swish swish

They rip my petals off in bits

Even god loves your company

You both laugh at my life choices on a Saturday morning

over a cup of chai

Oh, what a delightful sight am I?

A hopeless, humorless watch

The burden of love etched in my palms—

Yet the thought of you still keeps me warm

As I sit here in my rocking chair

In the winter of my life

My center centers around your center

And I—

Quietly oblige.