The Vultures are Circling  

The ink pools at the tip of my pen,  

hesitant, like a life half-lived,  

or a debt unpaid.  

They are waiting—watching—  

their eyes sharp as the edge of inheritance.  

I remember how I combed through her things,  

fingers tracing the seams of coats,  

palms pressing into old books,  

as if the scent of her skin might still linger.  

Did she know I would do this?  

Now they wait for my name to dry on the page,  

for the weight of my words to become gold,  

for my silence to give them claim.  

But my hands still move, my breath still spills—  

This story is not finished.  

What should I leave behind?  

Not the watch I never wore,  

nor the house that never felt like home.  

Not my words—no, they are mine,  

and I will not let them carve me open yet.  

So circle all you want.  

Wait in the shadows of my frailty,  

count my days like coins in your palm.  

I have not yet sung my last song,  

and the will remains unwritten.  

Dr Graham R Smith

Dr Graham R Smith is Head of Humanities at the 21st Century Innovation and Education Center, Baku, Azerbaijan, teaching IGCSE, AS and A Levels. He holds a Doctorate in Computer Science and a Master’s in English, Applied Linguistics, and Educational Psychology. Education is his third career, following service as a Royal Air Force pilot under Queen Elizabeth II and a role in Shell Exploration. His poetry draws from lived experiences in Azerbaijan, aiming to awaken global consciousness to overlooked conflicts and the resilience of nations.

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