A Fragmented Soul

Yusuf Achmad

The soul, divided, sways in turmoil,
The mouth agape with no purpose to coil.
Crimson lips, devoid of meaning.
Beloved, I moisten lips with illiterate yearning.
A soul dry, hollow, left gleaning.

Lips bend, but not by choice.
Dreams unfulfilled, no end in their voice.
Beloved, the soul writhes in despair.
Lips pierced by words unfair.

Near, I shall know, my dearest one.
Words need lips to belong, not to shun.
A grain of rice, lips beam bright.
Uncertainty claims me, lover slight.

Still they weep, the lips that linger.
When will these divided lips find a singer?
Within every written phrase,
A longing whispers through the haze.

Lips reflect a soul torn in two.
Words are shadows of yearning overdue.
In every word, there lies emotion unfurled.
In every yearning, love’s depths are twirled.

Beloved, these lips await your murmur,
Words to reunite a soul, no longer a murmurer.
In every verse, hope will soar.
In every yearning, love’s presence at the core.

Surabaya, 2-7-2020