THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.

The path through the bokal trees

Comes to my mind.

The a plus b whole square days

Come to my mind.

Our math teacher taught us:

a plus b whole square is equal to a² + 2ab + b².

I know our math teachers still teach:

a plus b whole square means

the square of the sum of two terms.

But they forget to tell us:

a plus b whole square means

a unique story of two united lives.

Oh, I still live in the ‘a plus b’ whole square days.