Lost Umbrellas

That moment when

We ran so fast to catch that last-minute train

Rain drowning streets, dripping off metal pipes

We hopped on, out of breath full of life

Giggling silently to ourselves

Truly no one in our sights

You with your motherly eyes, holding my small gloved hands

Wet and messy, you didn’t seem to mind

We fell onto weirdly scented tube seats

Flopping off our hats and things

I left the umbrella that day

In the blur of laughs and giddy screams

I left your umbrella that day

We hopped off, I left it behind

You were the first to notice, you didn’t seem to mind

Instead you grabbed my little hand

Patted my soft cheek

Whispered okay mija what’s the plan

Then you’d smile, I miss your smile

Pointing like a mage

To another umbrella, sat alone by the gate

We howled at our luck, running before it was too late

So scared we would blink, breathe

And it would all fade away

You stroked my hair as I picked it up that day

Tucking the curls behind my ear

Telling me we’re okay, it’s okay

We stepped out into the roaring rain

Unafraid so brave, so brave

You opened it in one go

And instantly you laughed

The umbrella, ripped apart

Completely broken from the start

The gleaming metal locked in a dance

With little drops of rain, reflecting off glass

Our luck wasn’t what it seemed, but it didn’t matter much

We stood there, half shocked by the rain’s touch

It didn’t matter though

It didn’t matter if the umbrella was left behind or out of luck

We had each other, that was more than enough

Grabbing my small hand, we ran

Splashing puddles, screaming at the cold

Just waiting to be home

Welcomed with the ‘you’ll never guess whats’

Another normal day of you being with me again

another moment when, a moment when

I want another moment when

Now when I see rain

I think about the umbrella left behind

The times you’d grab my small hand

Tucking curls behind my ear

I miss the moments when

We would run, run out of breath

Stars shaking by our laughs

I need another moment when

Another moment when of lastminute trains

Abandoned umbrellas and pouring rain

But we can’t and we won’t

That’s what hurts the most

I’m scared of the day

I run out of moments when

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Words by Isabel-Sofia Pias Diaz

Artwork by Kate Harrison (@artiste.kate)