She Smiles

When she smiles,

Birds fall quiet, mute.

The sun pulls clouds on top its face,

Defense from useless competition.

Even street refuse

All send delicious scents,

The roses, cardamom, and cinnamon,

To curl about our grateful noses.

When she’s gone,

It all collapses wrong.

The moon eclipses the sun at noon.

The sparrows sound foghorns

Midnight till eight.

Nothing computes.

I can’t turn on my phone.

The city tosses,

Confused to be alone

So late.

I’m nothing to her now,

Yet somehow

She carries my world

And twirls my ravenous attention

Carelessly about her slender fingers.

- 1/26/26