Friend

By Shonil Gramopadhye

She spoke in tones that once felt warm,

A gentle calm amidst the storm.

Her presence lit the darkest day,

But now that light has slipped away.

The laughter shared, the quiet peace,

Now echoes faint, their weight increased.

From every day to fleeting weeks,

Her silence, louder than she speaks.

I feel the shift, the growing space,

A shadow falls upon her place.

It pains me more than I can show,

To hold her close but let her go.

In a way, she showed me the light,

To rise from shadows, to win my fight,

To be the better version of me,

The person I so longed to be,

Yet in that story, it breaks me to see,

That she’ll no longer be with me.

By Shonil Gramopadhye