Zoi's Window

It was under the stars that my mom’s brown eyes met my mother’s blue ones for the first time. Their hearts maintained the tempo the wind made the leaves dance to, as each mouth formed the words the other’s ears wanted to hear. Their bodies were in love, but not them. It couldn’t be them. It all ended when the sun rose, and the world woke up. The nights would come again, but each was shorter than the last, as if the sun knew about them, and had sent its rays to investigate, and eventually burn them out. I lived with my mom and my dad. I never had a father, and I know I’ll never have one. My mother is too brave for that. My dad doesn’t know about my mother, nobody does, except me. My mom told me, her only daughter, what she could never tell anyone. She showed me photographs that had captured my mother’s smile, and the mischievous glint in her eyes. I loved my mother. I guess my mom was happy she had someone to share her love with. I believed that is why she told me her d...

They tell me you'd bang the dishes To entertain me so I'd eat. I wish I could remember what it felt like... And have you watching over me. Yours was the love that stood at the bus stop To welcome me home after school. You would ask for my bag, but I never gave it Since they said it was too heavy for you. But now, after so many months, The weight is too much for me too. Yours was the patience that sat at the table, Waiting for me to finish my food. I remember I used to feel annoyed When you put stray bones on my plate. But now I feel annoyed That I never waited for you. Yours was the compassion that climbed up the stairs To accompany me as I studied. But then you went higher up, leaving me down, And I find myself unable To accompany you any further. Then suddenly one day, there was on your finger A device to measure one...

There was nothing memorable about that night, Nothing for the reporters to write. True, the FIFA World Cup was going on in France, But strangely, no one spared it a glance. USA had thrashed Thailand 13-0, But nobody proclaimed the players a hero. It was the greatest margin of victory, And should have gone down in history, But hardly anyone knew, Apart from the team and the crew. In the World Cup of 2019, Croatia had shot goals thirteen In the whole of the tournament, And had had their names inscribed in the firmament. Of course, everybody knew, "What could be greater?" they’d argue. It is true USA had shot goals thirteen, But in the women’s team not a man could be seen, And perhaps that’s why there was nothing for the reporters to write, Nothing memorable about that night.