From ULR
Issue 7 – Environment
I’m the slowest smoker that I know of.
Amidst patient observation, a red bird's flaming feathers mirror the smoker's ember's vibrant burn.
June 15, 2022
that I know of. I’ve watched
a squirrel eat a groundnut from shell
to nut, three pigeons bob their heads
and chase patches of sun on a cobblestone
pathway around me. I wonder if
the sparrow flaps its wings faster than
the speed of light. There’s a black pigeon
—-charcoal and burnt sawdust—-
with a teal green neck, a spotted bird with
a yellow beak, whose name I don’t know.
A dog stops to gawk at tulips
and two more squirrels play
a game of catch-and-cook. Sunlight
is determined to draw new markings
on the basketball court. The sycamore
trees are so bountiful that I miss them.
A red bird, its colours flaming
like fresh paint on canvas,
is stealing glimpses of me. It has feathers
as bright as the burn of my cigarette
and there’s light drizzle,
the clouds taking time to empty themselves.
📖
PART OF A COLLECTIONI’m the slowest smoker that I know of and 1 other poem
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Aekta Khubchandani
Aekta Khubchandani is matriculating her dual MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry & Nonfiction) from The New School in NY. She is the founder of Poetry Plant Project, where she conducts month-long workshops. She is the winner of most recently, Epiphany?s Breakout Prize 2022 in Poetry among others. Her film, ?New Normal? won the Best Microfilm award at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Her work is nominated for Best American Short Fiction, Best Microfiction, Best of Net (Poetry), and others. She?s working on two hybrid books.