The Passing of Time
When we are too aware
It was just yesterday that has now gone by
In the blink of an eye
I felt fatigued the whole day, so I slept facedown on a pillow
I couldn't help but feel pitiful for myself
I pulled myself together
Invoking an image in my mind
Everything smelt of dried sweat, so I gave up on the idea of imagining
I dropped my jacket and picked up my legs to carry me
Midway I stopped, I turned around
I changed my mind
I paced along the river, eyes fixated on its shimmers
I said hello to the swans, who were hungry for grain
I was hungry for their feathers, so I swam in my unspoken miseries
Then I saw the swans' reflection in the water
Heading toward the sky with a heavy flight
To feed my mind, became less and less pleasing
Weariness and grace could hardly hold each other
I ran toward my room, thinking about the moving objects around
My feet felt light and I was already tired of the day
Believe it or not, it was just yesterday
About the Creator
Parwana Fayyaz
I am an Afghan writer. Forty Names, my first collection of poetry, was published in 2021 and named a New Statesman Book of the Year and a White Review Book of the Year. I also translate both poetry and fiction from Persian into English.
Reader insights
Nice work
Very well written. Keep up the good work!
Top insight
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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Comments (4)
captivates with a melancholy meditation on time and contemplation, producing a beautiful yet powerful story that blends nature's serenity with the intricacies of human emotion.
This leaves lot of room for interpretation, and the imagery of the swans is lovely. “Heading toward the sky with a heavy flight” is a wonderful line. Nice! Good luck with the challenge😊
So was it a dream? Or... a near-death experience? Those are my impressions. Very thought-provoking. I read the reverse part twice because it sounded so calming.
Melancholy and beautiful. Nice work.