Photo by David Clode
how long does it take for
rock to chisel to
sand?
each speck is said to hold
a story.
this compact of earth
draws
hope
(is what they would have you
believe.) like how minerals flare
every time a smartphone
buzzes
a digital yoke laces the grief
of a cloistered month,
so miniscule to the shifts
of rock and
sediment.
somewhere,
waves tear the chalky cliffs
asunder.
somewhere, mangroves
dissolve in a sandy plunder.
somewhere, a heart of
flesh continues to
wither.
Jonathan Chan is a writer and editor of poems and essays. Born in New York to a Malaysian father and South Korean mother, he was raised in Singapore and educated at Cambridge and Yale Universities. He is the author of the poetry collection going home (Landmark, 2022). He has recently been moved by the work of Spencer Reece, Graham Greene, and Roger Robinson. He has an abiding interest in faith, identity, and creative expression. More of his writing can be found at jonbcy.wordpress.com.