woven in silken sky

by Ilma Qureshi

when a koel, or shall we say a cuckoo,
let’s out a song
the day folds, decidedly                                       
like a teenager
rolling up sleeves
in the heat of July 

then, glistening like a water crystal
a sharp clarity descends on me;
the business of the world will go on
in its infinite, shimmery beauty
after i am gone
can i, then, trust such a world? 

what then, shall my gait be?
shall i wear my trousers rolled?
shall i stop
to look at the ant 
that carries a sack thicker than its legs
or the bird
that goes home empty-pocketed
and yet glides with a certain flair,
shining; like a crescent
woven in the silken sky

Ilma Qureshi received her Masters from the University of Virginia as a Fulbright Scholar in 2017. Currently, she is pursuing a doctorate in Religious Studies at UVA. Born in Multan (Pakistan), she grew up listening to various local languages and writes short fiction and poetry in Urdu, English, and Persian. Her work has appeared in Tafheem, Tareekh-e-Adab Urdu, The Ice Colony, Rigorous Magazine, Audio times, Active Muse, and Last Leaves, amongst others.