By: Varnika Goel

It’s strange how I lie down.
I face the wall always
Otherwise if I face left
I feel the lingering loneliness
Few words escape my mouth
Without moving a centimetre
In dark I let my mellow mouth move
I force out voice from wind pipe
Like-
A child does while blabbering first word.
An adult does reading a book
A septuagenarian utters his last sentence
I say Thank you
Pressing the gift of loneliness
Closer to my compounding chest.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you
For the gentle release of air
from my lungs to nasal cavity
Then dissolving in air outside
I am wondering about wonders
Worked by whirling storm.
However the only thing constant-
Breath.
And slow dissonance
I loathe and love loneliness
I slowly dissolve with the wall.
In my mother tongue they say-
Even walls have ears
I wish my words of gratitude
Will be absorbed by the wall I face.
Making space for more.