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The cold, foamy touch of shaving cream 

on your skin—it's what I miss the most.

And the razor’s smooth glide,

erasing stubble like time erases youth,

a screen shifting right to left,

revealing stories etched across decades.

This safety razor—

hurriedly bought by my son,

a pack of twenty,

the day before we left his house.

I’ve used it, or its kind,

countless times. Most mornings,

with tea steeping in a steaming cup,

I relished the chill of foam,

the swish of the blade on my face,

and the hearty cup of tea afterwards.

I could still make tea, then!

I could still hold my hands steady,

sign my name,

turn a key,

open a door, lift a spoon—

and I could shave!

I could still feel the chill of shaving cream,

the smooth glide of the blade,

and the touch of soft, clean bare skin, 

at will.

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Originally from Kolkata, India, Shuvra came to the US as a graduate student in 1985 and finished his Ph.D. in Engineering from Iowa State University.  Since 1994, he has been working as a professor in Detroit.  He loves reading, writing, painting, and photography. He published five books in engineering and his creative efforts in English and Bengali have been published in magazines such as The Antonym, Batayan, The Balcony, Sahitya Cafe, Banglalive, Irabotee, Rigorous, The Pine Cone Review, Confetti, etc.