When the opaque dusk swells,

The broken street lamp’s
Pearlescence of glass shards,
Overshadows the warmth of light bulb
 
The night is the unsung hero,
Catching the pirouettes of silver slivers
and fixing them
to the stars.
 
The bulb’s venous fuses,
The wires’ bony architecture,
The tenacity of the current,
Convulsing for terminal luster,
Flickering, fading
To eternal quietus
 
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Shreya Pabbaraju

First-year student at Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Shreya Pabbaraju enjoys drinking tea, stargazing, and photography in her spare time. Growing up in the wooded suburbs of Duluth, Georgia, a major inspiration for her poetry include scenes in nature.