hin-mu-ri-dil

she combs her fingers through then

            stops

says something in her native tongue

           plucks

beautiful lyrical giggle

has this been that hard on you, nawhui sarang?

splinters and pangs

    cracks crease my brow

     her smile flambé

     i caress her bandages with tired fingers

gently

   like walking on

     thin ice.

      silence.

our fingers continue

        her’s seeks

          seeks

finally finds

    another

       stops

         plucks.

mine glides like

             cat-hair

      on a hardwood floor

blown by

        the AC.

Silence.

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This poem was selected as the first place winning poem in the 2026 Kennesaw State University English Department Poetry Contest. The poem was featured on the KSU English department website and social media sites and the University newsletter in the 2026 Spring semester.

Additionally, this poem was also published in Waymark Magazine's Spring 2026 issue.  

Check out more of my published works on my Publications page.