After the War

After the war, we met in the café down the street,
the one with the cracked windows, now mended,
where coffee still tastes like a luxury,
and the pastries bear the weight of history.

"You look different," you said,
and I couldn't find the mirror in your eyes anymore.
"The world does too," I replied,
glancing at the buildings, standing proud yet scarred.

We talked about everything and nothing—
the price of bread, the new mayor,
and how silence has become a new language
we're all reluctantly learning to speak.

"I missed this," you whispered, almost forgetting,
as if the words themselves might fracture the peace we've found.
"Yeah, me too," I admitted,
finding solace in the normalcy of our shared silence.

After the war, we didn't talk about the war;
instead, we reveled in the quiet aftermath,
knowing some things are better left unspoken,
as we slowly learned to live again.

Meaning

This conversational free verse poem captures the moment of reconnection between two individuals in the aftermath of conflict. It reflects on the changes wrought by war, both in the physical landscape and in the people who have lived through it. The poem explores themes of resilience, the value of ordinary moments, and the unspoken understanding that some experiences are too profound for words. It emphasizes the process of healing and the quiet strength found in returning to the simple aspects of life, suggesting that recovery is found not in grand gestures but in the familiarity of routine interactions.

Inspiration Behind

I was inspired by the thought of what happens after the tumult of conflict ends—the quieter, personal battles that don’t make it into the history books. I wanted to capture the essence of human resilience and the subtle ways we rebuild our lives, focusing on a simple meeting between friends in a familiar place. The idea that life goes on, with all its small victories and mundane details, struck me as profoundly beautiful. This poem is an homage to those who find strength in the aftermath, who rebuild in silence, and find joy in the ordinary, even when the shadows of the past loom large.