Published on 12:00 AM, February 03, 2024

POETRY

Unbeknownst to both of us, you might have my heart in the palm of your hands

You indulge in my thirst for over-expensive tea,

ILLUSTRATION: MAISHA SYEDA

Sweet cold air finds its way to my lungs,
but my teeth refuse to clatter against one other.
Lying on the shiver-inducing balcony floor, 
I rely on your sweet honey-like voice on the other line to keep me warm.
Do you know,
I have already envisioned fifty winters with you?
You indulge in my thirst for over-expensive tea,
and I, in yours, for top-shelf brand cocoa.
You shake your head with a crooked smile lurking underneath,
and I chastise you for being a hypocrite.
Do you know,
unbeknownst to both of us, you might have my heart in the palm of your hands?

Rubina Nusrat Puspa is probably in the kitchen making her zillionth cup of tea for the day. Help her find better things to do @rubeyynah on Instagram.