Boarding School

By S. Sonali

The days of learning how to ride a bike,

Random bickering and uncountable fights,

All shattered, with you moving away,

Oh! My elder one, you whom I hated,

Yet loved more than anyone else.

The hatred between siblings

Which blossomed through childhood,

Us fighting and making up,

Somehow ended up with you leaving the hood,

The vile memories that we wanted to erase,

The distance gave those a beautiful shape.

The seasons changed, and 

Your presence was only felt on holidays,

The happiness at first,

Of having a whole room for myself,

Felt like a stifling darkness ,

Full of yearning and a sour sadness

Under the bed, where you once hid me,

Playing with pottery and our backyard,

Where we spent most of our time hiding.

Ride to school behind your bike,

Your dolls and used clothes that fitted me just right.

All these shattered pieces

I'm collecting so carefully,

To connect this puzzle, 

Scattered so disorderly.

The talks through the phone now, 

Crying and complaining,

Missing each other's warmth,

The love and a sense of belonging.

The walls of the boarding school,

Which kept us apart,

Somehow ended up

Closings the gaps within our hearts.

By S. Sonali