The Space Between

By Aryashree

Shut the door softly,

Too afraid to wake you.

Memories of the night

Far, far behind us.

I gather the lilies I bought

Off the vendor on the street

Placing each stem on the pillow,

Neatly, away from me

One, two, three. . I count

The space between us

The lilies are all we have, I contend

It’s far from the truth, I know

Even sunshine can touch you

In slivers though it may

Yet I can’t seem to

Frozen in time’s cruel sway

One, two, three. . I count

The space between us

You wait earnestly,

A great evening ahead

I head out excited

A smile with every tread

I see you at a distance,

A distance so close to home

One, two, three. . I count

The space between us

The lanes I must pass

To reach you and make it last

Closer I get, you get away

I only wish to hold on

If not to you, to an echo

Of what you exude

Carrying it within me,

Forever like a sweet melody

Only to know that’s all I have

All I have of you

Shadows of specters

Never the love that stands ruptured

One, two, three. . I count

The space between us

It’s all I’ve counted

For days you put past us

One, two, three. .

The space between us

Finally, I accept.

By Aryashree