Soul—My Lip

yusuf achmad

A fractured soul, adrift and untamed
A yawning chasm where meaning decays
Red lips, once vibrant, now silent remains
My love, let your unseen letters quench their thirst

For my soul lingers, parched and barren
My lips, bound by helplessness, plead with hope
Yet hope, my love, has offered no reprieve
As my battered soul, weary, writhes

My love, words falter and dissolve
In the curve of my lips, searching for truth
I know you draw near, a presence unspoken
Still, my lips long for the touch of life anew

Perhaps, just a grain—a fragment of solace
To let these lips glimmer with purpose once more
And yet, doubt coils around the edges of my heart
Complaints whisper as my lips fall silent

Oh, my love, let the soul’s lips awaken
That love may breathe again where silence reigns

Surabaya, June 2020