Shahalam Tariq

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A Certain Hue

You are gone,
again. And I am left
looking at the Jacarandas;
newly planted
flown fresh from the shores
of Africa.

The distance between us
is no more
than the distance between
the trees and the road
against them.

Under the sun
the road looks
almost oiled.
It is getting warmer—

the mangoes will soon
be ripe
between our teeth.
Generous
in their sweetness.

How yellow
the amaltas flowers are
against
the well-oiled road—
before

the sweepers
arrive.

Shahalam Tariq is a writer based in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. His poems have appeared in The Naked Punch Review and borderless journal. His writing on the history and literature of Pakistan has appeared in The Friday Times.