Ask Me Again Poem by Anisa Tara

Ask me how much
I've missed you
And I will tell you that
The human language
is limited in its articulation
Of longing

Ask me how much
This really hurts
And I will tell you that
No human language
Can contain
The depth and breadth
Of unadulterated sorrow

Ask me again
What it means to be happy
And I will tell you that
Life is a set up
That happiness is
But a myth
Concocted by human language
To console our sufferings

Ask me what it means
To be truly happy
And I will tell you that
The delight in your eyes
Tinted behind foggy glasses
Could wipe away all
Of life's fleeting sorrows

Ask me how much
I'd give to stand
on that old bridge again
Overlooking the mosque
Floating on an unsuspecting river
Counting the bulbs
Lighting up the beams
For lack of stars
Under an orange cover of darkness
Skies alight from the city
As the mist
fogged up your glasses
The answer is
everything