Jahin Tanvir
I sit on the table, Illuminated by dim candles, Stern hands around a short black, like warming mittens. I never liked coffee, The taste too bitter, But to indicate my maturity, I display it this hour. He sits a metre away, Glaring at my gestures, We talk and talk, About the oceans and seas, Ageing eyes unsheathing sagacity. His face is earnest and callow, A million hues captured in the iris, Gentle swirls depicting transitions, Leaving me wondering as to how spellbinding time is, That is invites such marvellous complexities, To fuse from innocent wonders. We cry a little and laugh a lot, Share stories and metaphors alike, Strum verses from our agonies, Gold and luminous, Until the flame of time eventually quivers. Farewell old pal, It is time for me to depart, Like shoes at the door, I will lay it down, A scarred body leaving a trail of art, Shedding a heavy languor no longer mine to bear. The walk in this life is thinly veiled, I learn and skip to the rhythm of the wind, Chasing aspirations beyond my sight, But I will always know that when gloom sinks in And my will falters for a moment, I will return to the table, Where plates are filled with memories And talk about the oceans and seas, With the boy that was once me.
Jahin Tanvir is a 20-year-old student, speaker, poet, writer, policy adviser, consultant, and youth advocate whose key aspirations reside in providing equitable healthcare, meaningful youth advocacy, and health research. He is a published writer with various articles published on mediums such as UNICEF, The Centre of Research Excellence in Adolescent Health, The Conversation and WhyNot as well as co-authoring his first anthology Life in the time of Corona in 2020.
Old Water Rat Publishing 