Taskeen Altaf
Karachi, Pakistan
i get on the floor in agony
my eyes shed one thousand and
thirty four tears
perhaps a hundred more
because i lost the count
long ago
they drip and drip
and drip
peace has vanished
the happy times are
just an evanesce
all alone in
this room of words
they call me by
i no more have the
spine to carry this
distress
or maybe i never did
the pain was just
buried inside this chest
5 am in the morning
i hear the birds chirping
realizing i haven’t slept
i pull my hands out of my head
they have these
brownish black hair strands
realizing i tried to
abscond this world
who do i call
who do i complain
anxiety feels like
a thousand ants are
slithering on my body
what do i do
to feel alive again
what do i pay to
be happy again
all i have is these
salty cheeks
