By Huda Ismail
I encountered love on the way home,
the messenger of the earth,
carried a dandelion,
softly brushing against my hand,
as it slid through the gaps of light between my fingers.
I encountered love at the train station,
One last embrace of a lover,
warmth cultivated and given freely,
a reminder of what it feels like to be home.
I encountered love on the open road,
the moon illuminating our eyes,
the blue horizon stretched in front of us, infinite, as our hope for better tomorrows.
I encountered love as I kissed her cold forehead,
devoid of life,
yet it grasped the epitome of mine.
The ground holds her love,
it flows through the roots of trees, intertwined
travels with the wind, unbound
and the waters glimmer with its remnants.
And I’m lucky enough to encounter it everywhere I go.
Huda Ismail is an Egyptian dentist and writer from Alexandria, Egypt. When she’s not
treating patients, you’ll find her passionately writing her next poem or short story. After
publishing an academic paper last year, Huda decided to focus more on her love of poetry and
fiction, and share her writings and musings via her Substack newsletter. Her literary heroes
include Tolkien, Mary Shelley, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and Neil Gaiman.
Hot Pot Magazine 