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The Art of Losing 

(after Elizabeth Bishop)

The memory of lanes disappears into denseness of the fog.
Have I eaten lunch already?
    Who does this face belong to?
Who is speaking to me like they know me?
I jump headlong into a deep dark well of untold, unbounded fear. Of losing bits of one’s life piece by piece. 
Will every glimpse of a face fade away? And will it be a steady dwindle or a sudden black hole?

autumn slowly moves on 
until all leaves disappear
only bare branches remain
and the sky ...
the very vast sky

About the Author

Sangita Kalarickal’s work appears in several journals and anthologies. Her chapbook Mamina, showcases free-verse poetry and haikai form. A Pushcart and Touchstone Award nominee, she is the associate editor of Drifting Sands Haibun Journal and conducts the podcast Ripples in the Sand. Dr. Kalarickal lives in the midwest USA with her family and the fantasy characters she writes about.


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