Rana Tahir
Ramadan
As a child I dreamt of the white and blue blanket of light
I was told You were. Now I only hear the floorboards croak till dawn.
I do not love the sun that leaves me, said a prophet as he searched for You.
When I prostrate in your direction, I only feel dead angels on my shoulders.
For years I thought my lover reflected Your light, but it must only be the sun.
God, do I follow the one who leaves me so easily?
Rana Tahir is a poet and educator living in Portland, Oregon. Her work has appeared in publications such as Poetry Online, Palette Poetry, and Quarterly West, among others. She earned her MFA from Pacific University and is a Kundiman fellow and member of RAWI. Her most recent book, a Choose Your Own Adventure novel, was published in 2020.• Photo by the author's spouse