Reminders

by Masooma Haider

Reminders

We pray for you,

They always told us,

We remember each of you

When you're gone.

Silly, we're never going,

We thought.

These rusty grills,

This chipped off paint,

The smell of dawn.

Here we are

Where time zones entangle

And the snow covers

The flowers that bloomed yesterday.

Their voices come back in a dream.

Familiar faces

Through a wall of broken glass,

Clouded vision.

Bloody, I wish I could see

But the glasses

Are broken.

Eye makeup smears, unwashed faces.

Call us back

A tiny voice whispers,

And pray the prayer you promised.

And in that prayer,

Ask the snow to fall

But leave uncovered,

That one leaf

That reminded me of home.