space & time

There is no such thing
as long-distance grieving -
a part of me will always believe 
my father's father 
is just a phone call away
a simple question of picking up my phone
and dialling, and he will answer with a yell
as if I was simply in the next room,
just out of sight. 

It isn't until you have felt the shock

of cold in your fingertips

like a papercut

or the bitter taste on your tongue

like sealing a letter

full of memories

that you understand the depth

of the distance. 

ghazal for evening flight from Montreal to Vancouver

Five hour flight right before sunset
Stowaway sun takes five hours to set.

Entire plane gasps when we breach clouds
Twilight beats complimentary headsets.

A day that deepens but never ends
Always running, unable to reset.

The sun is a torch on fluffy clouds
Burnt cream on custard right before it sets.

The night is the colour of Shiva
Touchdown in Vancouver as the sun sets.