Soft edges blur the world,
a veil of mist descends upon the landscape,
transforming familiar sights into dreamlike apparitions.
Colors mute and blend,
boundaries dissolve,
as if reality itself has become uncertain,
wavering in the thick air.
The sun,
a pale disc barely visible through the shroud,
struggles to pierce the opaque curtain drawn across the sky.
Distant buildings fade into ghostly outlines,
their sharp angles softened by the enveloping haze that cloaks the city streets.
Trees become shadowy sentinels,
their leaves whispering secrets to the fog that curls around their trunks and
branches.
Streetlights glow with an otherworldly aura,
their halos expanding in the moisture-laden air,
creating islands of dim illumination.
Sounds are muffled,
as if cotton has been stuffed into the ears of the world,
dampening the usual urban cacophony.
Pedestrians move like specters through the murky atmosphere,
their forms indistinct and ethereal as they navigate the obscured paths.
The haze brings a sense of mystery,
of hidden possibilities lurking just beyond the veil of perception’s reach.
It invites introspection,
turning the mind inward as the external world retreats behind a screen of
suspended droplets.
Time seems to slow,
each moment stretching like taffy,
as the usual markers of passing hours blur into indistinction.
The air feels thick in the lungs,
each breath a reminder of the tangible nature of this ephemeral phenomenon.
In the haze,
imagination flourishes,
painting pictures in the gaps where reality has become indistinct and malleable.
Memories surface unbidden,
mixing with the present in a swirl of past and now,
as clear as the fog.
The world holds its breath,
waiting for the sun to burn through or the wind to sweep the mists away.
Yet there’s a beauty in this liminal space,
a pause between clarity and confusion,
where anything seems possible.
As the day wears on, the haze may lift or deepen,
its presence a reminder of nature’s capricious moods.
It teaches patience,
this misty veil,
for those who would rush through life
without pausing to appreciate the subtle shifts.
In the end, the haze is a transient visitor,
leaving behind a renewed appreciation for the crisp lines of clarity.
But while it lingers,
it transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary,
turning the mundane world into a canvas of wonder.
Riddhima Das, a Seattle-area poet, explores themes of connection in her award-winning work. Her poetry has earned recognition in multiple contests and been featured publicly. Beyond writing, she’s passionate about music, sports, and translates educational content into Bengali, Hindi, and Kazakh.