Layers

The walk down from the bakery to my house,

I see -

Matchbox houses, 

Their balconies lined with layers and layers of  washed clothes,

pinched together with clothespins.

A crow perched on the electric pole,the color of burnt charcoal.

I see-

Gulmohar trees, the sky playing hide 'N' seek with their leaves.

A bunch of boys playing ball.

And an old compound wall,

Pasted with posters upon posters

Like a human who has imbibed it all-hatred,love,sympathy,betrayal

Some posters are wearing off at the corners,

Just like man's weariness of it all.

Layers upon layers we keep it all all locked away

In a maze, we run and run,

 wearing a mask ,finding our way out,

Until we don't know who we are at all.

In layers of cloth I tuck myself away, so tired from all that running-

Hoping that one day there'll be enough warmth, to suffice the long winters of this mortal world.

 -Khateeja Sadaf