Hassan Iftikhar Poetry

the poison in my lungs made them quiver
until I could feel a heartbeat through my throat;
I could not wait until you called anymore.

when your parents left for Mexico,
I swore you'd never return. now,
there's only a smudge on my shoe to stare at.

you came back home. your sigh was a signal
to wrap my arms across my chest, even though
my torso was on fire waiting for touch.

giving you everything was a toll
I did not have change for.
my love, I remember there was a point
when every fishing expedition was a lie.

forget the past: join with me again
and we will burn down the cities
to cure all the diseases we'll never catch.

Poet: S.S. Skinner