We are thrilled to post a brand new piece written by Maryam Ahmad Kamalboor for our Escapism theme titled “Treehouse” We hope you enjoy it ^^

When we were young

I recall your mother calling us inside

Carrying a tray with fresh mint lemonade

We would swallow it down with a gulp

And it would feel like waves hitting us in the throat

Then we would run back to the treehouse

That once you told me you built with your dad

Cross legged on the wooden ground,

That was the first time I told you:

Amidst the chaos of the life of a ten year old,

You were the only thing stable,

Holding me still until I was balanced on the ground.

Our late night talks under the moonlight,

Our laughter ringing through the neighborhood,

Your eyes a galaxy of their own,

I was lost, and at the same time I was not.

With your bare hands, not only did you build this treehouse,

But you built one inside my fist-sized heart as well.

Author: Maryam Ahmad Kamalboor