Memory Sweeper

I put together my thoughts one by one,

I hate to accept now that you’re gone,

I love how our story has begun,

How our hearts opened and flanged.

I put together image by image,

Of the buildings of heritage,

In those, we lived, our age,

Now, there is nothing but a mirage.

I’m filled with rage,

I’m going to my cage,

Where I lie in my tomb, and worship you, like a sage,

And there we become one.

I put together every moment,

Seeing you, far away,

I put aside every excuse,

I want you to be my muse.

Used, me like trash,

Threw me off somewhere, that was harsh,

Put me aside in the cage of your forgotten memories,

Where I’m prisoner for singing melodies,

Melodies of love.

Didn’t think, our love will fade away this easy,

Didn’t think the one who promised to stay forever, will be one to go,

Didn’t think any of it,

Now I’m here, in the street looking like a homeless, with my whole body greasy.

I laugh at the promises you didn’t keep,

I crawl, hungry for you, I weep,

Every night I sweep,

Sweep away, the memories that lay like a stain on the walls of my soul.

Like a stain, it stuck,

Like a bug, it bites me every time I take a walk,

Like a poison, it hits me, and puts me off,

Like a loser, I sweep, the deep,

Stains of memories.

I rub off the rotten memories, with phenyl,

Where I thrash joints and joints of the holy grass,

I abuse myself with shards and shards of white powder,

And, for a moment I clean your very existence.

But, one day, life comes around,

Surrendered I stay, when your memories surround,

Impounded lies my soul,

I just want to scowl.

I howl, I weep,

I try to sweep,

Deep ridden memories,

But, it has gotten ingrained,

It won’t sweep.

I have to burn the palace of memories down,

Standing on the cliff I frown,

Looking deep down,

I jump.

I meet the winds,

It gave me hints,

Hints of this day might come,

Where I’d lose my inhibitions,

And fly in the air,

And hit the ground.

——-Ashraf Shaikh