I was sleeping leg-side up

the world upside

down, uncertain, in ruins

when Mak startled me

awake, bangun subuh, bangun subuh

it is dark

the sliver of light flickers

in the door crack

bangun subuh, bangun subuh.

Later, blue light, ceiling light

listening to poetry, remedy

songs of, Psalms of, words flowing like

water, from my head

down to my feet

worlds away, fingers snap, candles

lit.

Jalan keliling rumah, pagi-pagi

vitamin D

Mak reminded me, days ago

how many of those now?

one bleeds into another, dies into

another, blends into another, bends into

another.

Just be, just breathe, just

is/ice, cracks show under the virulent

light

to feel powerless

nothing, at times everything, if only

something

to be  weightless, no anchor

so unmoored.

Amanece, que no es poco

pagi-pagi vitamin D

tomorrow, there is light

a light, alight, alright

bangun subuh, bangun subuh

Iju,

bangun subuh.

Cover image by Annie Spratt on Unsplash