Change of Mind
seeing you depart
from the haveli roof
I caress
the heart-shaped henna tattoo
fading in my palm
distant mountains
I see clearly through
the rolling fog
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Christine L. Villa, USA
------
The Turning Point
spring breeze
falling cherry petals
caress her cheeks
as she nods yes
to her lover
midnight shadows
the promises whispered
within close doors
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Christine L. Villa, USA
Salvation
setting sun
above the baobab tree
held awhile
in my eyes
an old grief
night vigil
the sand grains
press into my knees
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Ibrahim Nureni, Nigeria
Between sunshine and shadows
talhi shadow
in the courtyard
still lingering
the tiny footsteps
from our childhood
muslin cover
gran’s sweet and sour pickle
full of sunshine
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Arvinder Kaur, India
Scented Breeze
drifting through
the central courtyard
jasmine fragrance
when i follow
your whispers
a breeze entices
with subtle hints
sweet seduction
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Paul Callus, Malta
Rippling
drifting gondola
through the Grand Canal
my daydream
of soaring on
the ancient wind
reflections in the water
the echo of time
cradles me
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Oscar Luparia, Italy
Shared Sky
Baisakhi day
in the family field
dhol beats
and our bhangra
fading all differences
across the border
mustard fields bloom
the land of my ancestors
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Neena Singh, India
Unfading
Ramadan moon
through the train window
a lingering smile
that stays with me
mile after mile
your words I keep
the warmth
of twilight
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Maryam Qureshi, Pakistan
Conviction
muezzin's call
drifts through the city haze
a silent prayer
quivering on my lips
for the inner peace
a little longer
I remain bowed...
lingering rain
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Fatma Zohra Habis, Algeria
----
Worn Smooth
sharp edges
pieces of broken glass
rolled by the waves...
even the sea learns slowly
how to soften what cuts
twilight sky—
I stir the silence
into my tea
Fatma Zohra Habis, Algeria
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
------
Turning Light
morning stroll
along the River Thames
against the flow
I listen to thoughts
I never shared
Millennium wheel
through a Kaleidoscope
the sun's take
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Robert Kingston, UK
-----
Echoes in Motion
two seagulls
circling anticlockwise
around Big Ben
this deep longing
to turn back time
one leg on, one off
the playground roundabout
paused for new riders
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Robert Kingston, UK
-------
Solitary Walk
forest wind
on my path—
this urge
to let go of
what no longer matters
leaf litter—
the crunch whets
my appetite
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Sherry Reniker, USA
-------
The Way Back
evening stroll
across the sky
budding stars—
I keep humming
a childhood lullaby
friends reunion
on the kindergarten carousel
pink moon
Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
Beata Czeszejko, Poland
