Yours Forever

By Banan K M Irfan

I received a letter today.

It’s funny, I know.

Who writes letters in this time and age?

But I was touched by it, terribly so.

I sat down in my favorite chair;

The one that felt like your embrace.

And with a smile tugging at my lips,

I recalled your gentle face.

The letter started with a ‘how are you?’

I chuckled at the awkwardness.

Time has really passed swiftly:

And yet it didn’t affect my happiness.

My happiness that bloomed,

As I read further.

Gentile inquiries about my family,

Greetings to father and mother.

You made me reminisce about those days,

When everything was fun and easy:

Made up games and scenarios.

A basket full of memories.

Some changes have taken place:

We no longer love the same color,

Friends do not flock us by the dozen,

The idea of outings making me shudder.

But our shared love for words,

And unspoken melodies,

Still ties us together,

And creates a symphony.

A watery smile trembled on my lips,

As I read your well wishes for me.

Life really does go on,

With mischievous plays by Destiny.

‘We will get hurt,’ you wrote.

‘But things will get better.’

‘Believe in me until the end.’

‘We only have one another.’

I couldn’t help the tears,

That ran down my face.

Ran a hand through my graying hair,

Tried to calm my heart’s quickening pace.

You always had a way with words,

I thought as I sighed shakily.

Pictures of our younger days fill my mind.

I can almost feel you holding me.

I reach the end of your letter;

It was delightful hearing from you after 10 years.

The me from that time was so different.

I think, and laugh through my tears.

The letter which I wrote to myself,

From 10 years back finally reached me.

I am glad to see I became someone,

The younger me would smile at proudly.

I wish I could hug you,

And tell you ‘it gets better.’

Life is going to place some hurdles for us,

But we will get through those together.

The me from now loves you,

And so does the us from years ago.

What need do we have for someone else?

Could anyone else love us more?

I put your letter into my folder,

And pull out a fresh sheet and pen.

There are a lot of things that I need to tell you,

A lot has happened between now and then.

I start writing about stories,

And well wishes woven together.

Sign my name at the end,

Along with Yours, Forever.

By Banan K M Irfan