Today, I’m not trying to get anywhere.
The sidewalk outside the café is warm enough 
to hold me.
The chair tilts back a little like a tender sigh.

Steam rises from the cup, 
curling like a slow thought.
The noise and the footsteps 
fade into a blur around me.

My mind slips out of its cage, 
drifting past lists, clocks, calendars,
all the neat fences I usually build around my days.  
Like a leaf carried by the air.

October light gathers at my feet.
It's gentle, gold, and unassuming.
For once, I’m not chasing anything or rushing anywhere.
I’m just here.

- Neha Sharma