A Barren Garden

By Shambhavi Kulkarni

An empty vase at first,

before you came along,

wilted flowers and rusted thorns,

lovers that only ever took a toll on my heart

lighting cigarettes at a futile attempt to burn down my past

only took a few heartbreaks that led me to you,

but the vase now overflows in the cold of the dark,

brimming to the top with what I feel for you,

with the constant need to witness your ever-present hue

my sanity amidst the chaos,

my one good thing when things feel wrong,

I wait patiently for December,

a month that once felt mediocre

It's you now, my little lover,

our love could be the one flower

that blooms forever.

By Shambhavi Kulkarni