Sep 24, 2020
Updated: Apr 10, 2021
'time / lapse'
I. family_reunion_15_02_00.mpeg
You are five, and your eyes dance
and sparkle, like the flames of candles.
You are tireless; your hands are sticky
and filthy, from touching things.
I am eight, and my eyes twinkle
like mirrors reflecting stars.
II. family_reunion_25_07_20.mp4
You are twenty-five, and your eyes smoulder
like the crushed stubs of cigarettes.
You are tired: your hands are dry
and calloused, from lifting things.
I am twenty-eight, and my eyes glower
like mirrors reflecting wars.
Alvin Kathembe
Alvin Kathembe is a writer from Nairobi, Kenya. His poetry has been featured in The Short Story Foundation Journal, Poetry Potion, Versification and other publications. His short stories have been published in Omenana, Brittlepaper and Digital Bedbugs, available on Kindle. Find him on Twitter @SofaPhilosopher, and on Medium.