It was declared the last storm of the summer,
when the wind was strong and billowing curtains
of rain scattered paklan petals over
the tiled courtyard, and
silver-veined wind chimes echoed
the rhythm of beaded eaves.

After a while the rain
quieted, the clogged drains
stirred themselves into delusional cups of tea,
and the remnants of the flood
watered moss roses that grew out
of the crumbling curb by the road.

There was an old lady at the bus stop
in a pair of leather shoes as lined as her face –
streaked hair, pink scalp,
rheumatized fingers and all.

I offered her the shelter of my
umbrella. She politely declined, saying
thank you, but it was not
really raining anymore.

:::::

Grace Wong Hiu Yan is a final-year student concentrating on literature in the Department of English. She loves the smell of old books and has unconventional ideas for bookmarks. She is one of the founding co-editors of EDGE. “Weathered” is the Third Prize Winner of the English Poetry Contest 2015. [Read other poems from the 2015 contest.] [Read all entries by Grace.]