Coming out of the dark bus depot,
the traveler is greeted by bright lights
like jewels streaming emerald, ruby, sapphire.
Glimmering entities, at times distinct,
at times coalesced encourage high hopes
as city dwellers swarm around them
like satellites to stars.
Thirst arises for knowledge
of this city, its history, its people.
This need to know is matched
only by a thirst for sweet liquid
which, when found, fills incomparably well.
Sublime sugar runs down the middle
of the mouth while sour lemon
seeps at the sides. Sipping the cold can
feels commensurate to absorbing everything
as the city swallows with its noise and sights,
the liquid drowns the senses.
For a few solitary seconds there is
a feeling of complete relief.
Ayesha F. Hamid is a poet and creative nonfiction writer published in
Blue Bonnet Review,
Bridge Eight,
Sheepshead Review, and
Rathalla Review. Her full-length memoir
The Borderland Between Worlds is available through
Auctus Publishers at
Barnes and Nobles and
Amazon. Ayesha also has a full-length poetry collection called
Waiting for Resurrection. She served as Poetry Editor at
Ran Off With the Star Bassoon and as an Assistant Poetry Editor for
The Night Heron Barks. She is the Editor-in-Chief at
The City Key.
Ayesha holds a Bachelor of Arts in French and A Bachelors of Science in Sociology from
Chestnut Hill College, M.F.A. in Creative Writing and an M.A. in Publishing from
Rosemont College. She also holds an M.A. in Sociology from
Brooklyn College.
Ayesha is a lover of cities, big and small.
Please note: Poetry is compressed to fit smart phone screens. If you are reading this poem on a phone screen, please turn your screen sideways to make sure that you are seeing correct line breaks for this poem.
Please note: Poetry is compressed to fit smart phone screens. If you are reading this poem on a phone screen, please turn your screen sideways to make sure that you are seeing correct line breaks for this poem. 
THE CITY KEY 