Moonlight/Chandani

Adam Ali is a Glaswegian Panjabi poet, currently studying English and Creative Writing at the University of Strathclyde. His work explores the intersections of identity, history and inheritance. You can find him on Instagram at @adamalipoetry

MOONLIGHT 

moonlight is a silver weight upon your chest tracing the topography of your quiet breath. 

heaven is a harbour we built with our hands softly the tide of the evening begins to rise.  

every star is a witness to the glow 

which lives beneath your skin. 

night gathers gently at the edge of your name each moment hums the things we said.  

dreaming, we drift where the dark feels kind dawn waits somewhere, but not for us tonight.

CHANDANI 

chaandni tumhare seene par chaandi ka aik bojh si hain, tumhari khamosh saanson ki utarti-charhti satah ko chhooti hui. 

jannat aik bandargah hai jo humne apne haathon se banaya, aahista aahista shaam ka jwaar ubharne laga hain. 

har sitara us roshni ka gawaah hain, 

jo tumhari jild ke neeche zinda hain. 

raat tumhare naam ke kinaare par narmi se utarti hain, har lamha un baaton ka geet gungunata hai jo humne kahi thin. 

khwab dekhte hue, hum wahan behte chale jaate hain jahan andhera bhi meherbaan lagta hain, 

subah kahin intezaar kar rahi hain, 

magar aaj raat hamare liye nahi.