Washing cars
For no one to see
But the eyes that watch
Until something goes astray

A body for a bill
A soul for a smile
On the only face that matters
For a price that can’t be returned

His body cracks at every shout,
And he pretends the moisture building
in his eyes is sweat
But it’s still less painful than his prayer
That went unheard

In a distance, the sun is finally setting
But it feels too far to grasp
When the moon taps his shoulder
He chokes on his own relief

His tip for the day buys him a six-pack of comfort
And for a while, he is impenetrable,
until the sun drags him away afresh
To greet him with greed once more

Header image by Yusra Shah