He asks her if she wants pretty little things
in sweet packages, and she tells him
of another winter they must survive.
Perseverance is necessary, he says, as he wraps her up
in another of his prescribed therapies for life.
She listens patiently, maybe more so today
than on most days, silently wondering what it is about
the winter freeze that solidifies the fluidity
of a verbal exchange, constraining most conversations.
The cardamom swims invisible in her hands,
as she warms the dialogue sitting on her tongue,
each mahogany sip evaporating the thaw and
waking her words from hibernation.
We could both use a little spring, she says,
breathing the words softly into the air,
so softly it almost never leaves her mouth,
so softly it almost misses his ears.
Shikha S. Lamba is a jewellery designer and poet living in Hong Kong. She is also the co-editor of an online magazine, Coffee and Conversations. In love with all things creative, she has contributed poetry and articles for various publications in Hong Kong, the US and India over the years. Passionate about raising awareness about women’s health and mental health issues through her writing, Shikha’s poems often touch on themes of feminism and social injustice. She admittedly lives a big portion of her life online and can be found on most social media sites for her writing, jewellery and magazine.
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