Already Elsewhere by Shikha S. Lamba

Already Elsewhere

He might start off with a conversation

about capitalism or some other relevant topic.

And maybe somewhere in between a sentence

he’ll pause, take a sip of his drink,

and tuck his hand in the soft corner

of your neck, caress the rise of your shoulder, and

lean in to whisper something remotely cliched like,

I didn’t realize we would have such a heated discussion,

want to continue elsewhere?

And you would have no choice but to collapse

your tongue in his mouth, warm and rich, tasting of a

20-year-old Bourbon, pretend the slight feathering

of sweat dampening your armpits is a welcomed reaction.

Your blood roaring in your ears, his arms

wrapped around you like tinsel, you might be

overcome by a helplessness, wanting so badly

to go to that place again, with him.

If you’re lucky, though, some sense might prevail.

You’ll pause and reach for your glass, inhale the

Cabernet before sipping it slowly, present a

casual, untroubled demeanor, and say something

remotely unexpected like,

I’m already ‘elsewhere’, and I’m okay there by myself.

Shikha S. Lamba is a jewelry designer and poet living in Hong Kong.  She is the co-editor of an online magazine, Coffee and Conversations. Shikha’s creative work has been published in journals globally. Her poems and photography have previously been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart prize. She admittedly lives a big portion of her life online and can be found on most social media sites for her writing, jewelry and magazine.