Memories Of You

By Bilal Salman Ahmad

I still cannot explain to God,

what kind of cruelty this is—

that you, once my reason to breathe,

no longer feel the need for me.

Where do I carry this broken heart?

Which doorway still holds your name?

If only I could summon you back,

but even heaven seems too far to reach.

My patience is measured in moments,

yet your silence stretches into eternity.

I wonder if you ever pause,

to feel the weight of my restless prayers.

Do you remember that evening—

when the world felt small

because your hand was next to mine?

Now even the moon mocks me,

shining from a distance,

refusing to draw near.

Your memories arrive uninvited,

filling this empty room I built for you.

Every tear becomes a song,

every sigh a verse etched in sorrow.

I made a home from these recollections,

but you have locked its door from the outside.

I tore my nights into shreds for you,

threaded them into lullabies for my pain.

But your love slipped away like water,

leaving me thirsty in a flood.

Still, I die for you in secret.

Still, I beg the world to treat you kindly.

Even now, when I speak of God,

your name hides between my words.

You were my prayer,

you were my promise,

you were the reason I thought forever was real.

And though you are gone,

my soul still lingers in your shadow—

half in heaven, half in ruin.

By Bilal Salman Ahmad