burn this letter

burn this letter

history tells us

what is written

will burn

one flick of your lighter

two, science, and

three: the flame

it’s not so cruel

love, see how the ink

is cradled in the paper

its body lengthening

in rhythm disappearing

in time, logic stands

to prove art

has nothing to lose

the words themselves

will live god knows

like metal flowers

against the last horizon

—

Abeer Hoque is a Nigerian-born, Bangladeshi-American writer and photographer. She has held two solo photography exhibitions and is currently working on a novel and a new collection of travel-themed erotic stories. “The Long Way Home” is her book of travel photographs and poems. You can read the introduction, here. See more at her site, olivewitch.com, and email her at [email protected] for information on how to order the book.