‎Budgeting in a Heatwave

As the day collapses into the warm hands of night,
‎I lie in awe, aware of the presence
‎and the 77k effect.

‎The tendrils of my brain have overworked
‎themselves in budgeting,
‎fixing a kobo in each puzzle hole
‎created by demand and expectation.

‎This heatwave melts every hope tied
‎to a child whose fatherland has refused to serve or save him —
‎beaten into incognito.

‎The joy of giving three hearty cheers
‎is subdued by a grumbling stomach,
‎its warning signs echoing.

‎My thoughts bubble in reverse motion,
‎like the wave of a child beaten by fate and faith.

‎This heat kills every courage to look
‎beyond the horizon,
‎fixated on an hourglass as it drips
‎into tiny pieces of 77k.

‎Choked by expectations,
‎my troubles become an echo of others’ troubles.