When This Is Over
Reshma Ruia
When this is over
You will remember
How the world was emptied of sound
Silence strolled the streets
In hush-hush slippers
In the garden the first butterflies of spring
Cartwheeling. Their smoked paprika wings
Tremble against the bottle green and blue dazzle of light
And you. Holding a cup of tea
Fingertips warm against the china
Watching and waiting for the world
To spin around
This poem was written for ‘Garden Among Fires’, a pop -up blog that shares covid-19 related writing. http://www.gardenamongfires.weebly.com
Reshma Ruia is a novelist, short story writer and poet. Her work has appeared in The Mechanics’ Institute Review, The Nottingham Review, Asia Literary Review, Confluence, Funny Pearls, Fictive Dream, etc. She is the co-founder of the Whole Kahani Writers’ Collective.
Altrincham Word Fest 