by Nosheen Irfan

His forbidding frame appeared in the window
A cry broke from us, like a sudden rain
His face was as human as could be
But our feet were fleeing from the ghost

At the end of the lane, our fear was gone
We stopped to say a word or two
Our voices were wheezy from the run
That was a run for life, for ghosts could kill
We were scared, but happy as hell
We had a ghost story inside us

A chase, yes the ghost gave us a chase
Till he got tired and disappeared in his silent home
We had an encounter with Mr. Shah
Who became a ghost when his wife died
And he was left alone in the big wide world.

Editor’s Note on Encounter with a Ghost

Encounter with a Ghost is not Nosheen Irfan’s first publication in Eastlit. The following pieces of her work have appeared in earlier Eastlit issues:

• Forgotten & Once there was a Garden were published in Eastlit August 2015.
• Midnight Reveries & Other Poems appeared in Eastlit December 2015.