Postcard Written on my Windowsill at 1:37am, Thessaloniki

Two nyctophiles stargazing, a few light-years apart.
Tonight, they glitter like my amber ring used to. Yes,
I saw it around your finger when you last spoke
to me—a stranger who knows about your sleep paralysis.
But since you asked, this room looks the same:
flat surfaces crammed with amigurumi, walls suffocated by posters;
Every book has a cracked spine now. And since you’re wondering,
my heart is still soft for Austen, who understands perpetual estrangement.
I’m still fluent in F.R.I.E.N.D.S quotes. But now I’m not ashamed
when I swear, or blast terrible nu-metal, or tell boys I play video games.
You were a petal-pink bruise that branded my wrist,
then faded, once I stopped feeling for a pulse. All is well.

P.S. I hope the stars shine as bright on your end of the city.
Please, look the other way next time we brush shoulders.

Charitini Lekou is an undergraduate student of English Language and Literature from Arta, Greece. She is inclined toward creative ventures, and enjoys drawing, singing, and crocheting. She is particularly fond of Jane Austen, Peter Pan, and her pet rabbit. Her inspiration is frequently drawn from 90’s pop culture and childhood nostalgia.