My blind spot hides the assassin
who has crept through gardens to find me.
When I turn around, there is no one
but he heard my melody in the mountains
and followed the notes
through thickets and sin
now he lurks outside my house
backflipping down from the roof
waiting to pounce
but he doesn’t come in.
Puzzled, I watch him from windows
but his shadow has slipped from view
always, always, again and again.
The only sign he was there
is the tremble of violets
in the space he left.
He’s so clever, my assassin.
I saved myself by making him love me
but I don’t know how long this will last.
Show yourself! I call out into the dusk
Do what you will, take what you want!
I am met with silence.
He knows I know
what he wants.
So I play the melody he followed
play until he shows himself
then slips back into the shadows
play until my hands ache
play until
he is gone
with the morning.
© N Nazir 2022
Written for Shay’s Word Garden where we are given inspiration with Stephen Crane (words used: assassin, blind, gardens, melody, mountain, puzzled, sin, thickets, violets), The Sunday Muse (images as shown), and Poets and Storytellers United (theme: dialogue) where I have gone a little off-prompt.
Sunra Rainz 