i board the eurostar,
knots in my stomach,
anxiety clinging like static.
i may get charged
for the emotional weight
my heart and i packed
in my luggage.

then a guy across the aisle
mistakes me for a being
you can turn to for guidance.
his travelling companion,
anxiety, also had a reserved seat,
and soon, the four of us share
one nervous heartbeat
in carriage sixteen.

human panic in motion,
he’s vibrating with nerves,
scents of worry
seeping through his shirt.
but he calms me,
and eventually we both
drift into sleep.

we’re halfway there,
when we wake,
and rapid fires emerge
in-between the yawning.
discussing the speed,
the delay, the weather.
now, i don’t mind he found me.
there’s comfort in knowing
we can be scared together.

I've never been the best
at making coffee.
I have a moment every now and then.
I pour, and I watch it swirl.
You don’t say much
you just sit and wait.
The liquid swirls,
not aware of the weight
of the world.

Hot, fresh,
Full of life
finally, the mug is filled,
and you take a sip
slow, deliberate.
I want to ask you,
but either way, I’ll never know.
Even if it’s the worst cup
you’ve ever had,
you’ll smile and say it’s good.
Either way,
I too will enjoy the space
shared between you and I,
and brew another ***
just for you.

every fleeting moment
of an accidental touch
a stolen brush of fingers
grazing skin
of eyes met across a room
of whispers
of secrets
shoots a thrill through me
because it brings me closer to you