Raindrops

By Keerthana Sujith

I watched you leave, not knowing where my tears start 

and where the raindrops end.

Truly this was the end, 

with you gone,

 surely the world would stop.

But the sun rose again and the birds flew again, 

oblivious to my misery. Misery?

After the first two days, the rain had stopped, 

after four, the water slid down the steps at the entrance, 

never to be seen again. 

I never realised how big the house was, how empty and cold, 

no wonder I was so often lost. 

I walked the halls for the first time,

 now noticing all the cracks in the wall, 

the broken windows.

In truth, I lost myself in you. 

If you hadn’t chosen that umbrella;

 In tears, begging me to let you go,

 while I begged to be fed sweet lies just once more, 

I may have never returned. 

And now my only regret is keeping that umbrella from you in the first place.

Because now I have  taken apart every brick,

 every coat of paint; colours I never really liked,  

And made it my own.

Now this house that only houses one, finally has a roof. 

You took nothing from me.

Not my character of loving raw, uncut, 

but not my sadness or grief either, 

you now are just someone who is. 

So take your umbrella and go, 

I will be sitting here; not waiting, 

but wrapped in the warmth of my own solitude, 

watching the serenity of the storm, 

I vaguely remember so long ago,

desperately trying to shield you from.

You, who simply had not seen enough moons, 

You, who was once in tears just as I was, 

You, who let me believe we were simply sleeping under the stars, 

You, by some small mercy, 

Chose that umbrella over me.

By Keerthana Sujith