AARTHI JOHN

Young Woman in White Coat and Pearls, 1950s

Someday,
I’ll walk by the pond
overgrown with bunch berries.
Watch a blue heron
gargle a bullfrog.
Breathe in quietly,
and overcome the paperwork
strewn on a tan, square table,
next to the faded, coral bed.

But today,
I hear the cacao flowers
sing across the ocean.
I see those sugarcanes,
wafting in the breeze.
And the chickens running
everywhere.

I should go to the hidden creek,
talk to the trees on Leary way,
embrace Tahoma, pray and pray.

I smile weakly,
Nana’s gold turtle tucked in my pocket.

The clouds are converging.
Surely, the showers will come.