Debmalya Bandyopadhyay
Absence sleeps between the waves.
My father at the pier alone, picks up
the language of endless arrival, lends his
shirt to the wind’s wailing wardrobe.
Take this, and this, and this too.
Somewhere in him, the trees are still bending
to you humming Edelweiss. Through them,
a forlorn road finds the pier. My father –
your softest lover walks there all night,
and comes back shirtless each morning.
Debmalya Bandyopadhyay (he/him) is a writer and mathematician based in Birmingham, UK. He was a finalist for Sweet Literary’s 2024 Poetry Award and Sophon Lit’s 2024 Poetry Contest. He is often in parks confabulating with local birds and bees.
Briefly Write 