Commute

Anahita Ebrahimi

It’s been two weeks &

Hitchhiking is routine

No Wolf Creek here – 

Dusty snow-capped mountains

Silver Paykans with half rolled-down windows

Cigarettes dangling & tanned leather seats

Exhausted foam no longer bouncy

I’m one of four, crammed in the back

I’m khareji so my Farsi is funny

A fat-bellied cat sits shotgun 

On the lap of a Haj Khanoom

Twirling her sandalwood prayer beads

Her soft hands are

Raw chicken skin

The intersection, Valy Asr

Barefoot & sun-kissed children

With bouquets of roses – 

Pastel pink & celestial blue

Puckish eyes smiling

5 toman, 3 toman, 1 toman

Anahita is studying law and creative/professional writing at QUT and is Co-President of the QUT Literary Salon 2020 team. She enjoys almond croissants, coffee and psychological thrillers. You can find her poetry and creative non-fiction at Glass Magazine.