I heard about the apocalypse on the radio
It was waiting on the sidewalk, driving holes in dusty concrete
It released pastel lilies along the drying river
I watched the wasps plummet to the ground, scattered among the flowers
I followed the forest, listening for its devilish tune in the desert
I sang in the dark, waiting for steady chords of rain

They described to us the miracle of rain
and death and deer’s head on the radio,
buried songs of prayer in the desert
They told us to inscribe prophecies in the concrete
As if a god’s wish hid between groves of sweet-smelling anant¹ flowers
As if god’s gift would wash up along the river

I used to pass by a hollow near the river
Rainwater and mud collecting there during the rains
The water roaring against the cove, wild as a desert flower
I listen for its whispers on the radio;
Like a devotee kneeling on concrete
Like a starved yucca in the desert

A sweltering takes among the desert

and we can only share rice on the river
The world crumbles around concrete
and we tell stories of monsoon rains,
listen to beautiful static on the radio
what will save us: a call from the devil and grave flowers

Nowadays we plant a trail of flowers behind us in the wind, a 10 year trek
through the desert
listening for oasis on the old car radio
building our own Babylon by the river,
humming the delicate melody of rain
and spilling mango pulp onto scorching concrete

They said: Tell us something concrete
Show us how to grow flowers
between the gaps and collect rain-
water. We answered: the desert
perfects death; follow the river
listen to the radio

Today, I saw a flower grow through concrete in the desert
Today, I heard rain fill the hungry river
Today, I heard the apocalypse on the radio

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Silvia is a young Queer writer living in the U.S featured in the fiction anthology, Demeter’s Garden, the Discretionary Love blog, and more. When she’s not writing, you can find her devouring fantasy books, producing music, and making zines. To find out more, you can check out her linktree here: https://linktr.ee/siivia_writes .

1. Anant means gardenia flower in the Indian language Marathi. ↩︎