by Sadaf Pauls
so thin in this land
I have become a vine
rooted in a crust of a rock.
without a shadow
an alien streak in
your botanical realm
I have not the leaves
to hide in.
I am tall
so tall I could become a tree looking out to the sea,
over a frozen porch,
where icicles tickle my mango skin.
I am naked enough
trip me on a rimed beach,
my silk/your icy beads collide a revolutionary relic.
It’s not painful
I am not bruised
or bent
or broken.
Where I am
time tiptoes
around my dreams
tangerines sprout
morning glory
myths grow
on my branches,
now strong.
Where you are
is home as sweet?
Based in Hamburg Germany, Sadaf Pauls is a polyglot writer and literary enthusiast. Graduating in 2024 with a BA in Creative Writing from SNHU, her creative journey includes writing poetry and book reviews, creating content for a Berlin sustainable fashion blogzine, and freelancing as a bilingual interpreter for trauma therapy. Her work explores themes of diaspora, identity, and loss. She shares her upcoming publications on her website and Instagram. https://www.sadafpauls.com @sadaf_pauls