[;]

by Joshua Effiong

it’s morning in my heart

& tender buds have begun sprouting

from my sternum, their lips running

towards the sun for a kiss. but the owls

are still here contesting for light, too.

among all of life’s precious things,

i only wish for a softer ache;

to be whole, even in my shattering,

to still possess the vibrance of an echo.

at evenings, i anticipate

the arrival of fireflies. to catch,

& rub them on my skin;

an attempt to glow in the dark.

these days i’ve resorted to dreaming

with my eyes open.

it is the safest way to enjoy

life’s vanities before i disappear.

at the end of time, this is how

i want to remember myself: as ash;

as a tender ruin; as an artifact of everything

that was; a broken Japanese mug

mended with gold.

^{Image by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels}