BY ANUSHKA MULIK
Walking alone under grim skies
Thought I saw your silhouette in the dark
A ghost of conversations past after
Almost a decade of us coming to this park
Now our bench has been captured by two young girls
Giggling, trading secrets only they would ever know
I adore their innocence while scrolling down my contact list
Just to read our old messages on my phone
Your vitriol crept up on me
Words laced with envy and barbs
Drew cuts so small
I paid it no regard
We were once sisters, not by blood but by love
Until I awoke to blood dripping from the wound in your wake
If I ever surpassed you whether luck or fate
Your mind ignited fights from scenarios that were fake
Your voice became reason for caution
Instead of my most familiar sound
Numb realisation that my safe haven
Morphed into walls holding me down
I scaled the walls in silence for months
We move on with our lives - or at least we pretend
Our memories shroud every corner of the city
Cafes, trains, this park and even the weekends
The deafening silence is broken
Your best apology, all affection, no spite
A decade-long bond
Can’t be severed by one knife right?
I miss our endless unguarded conversations
Over coffee, over ice cream - not over hesitation
Trust can’t be restored if I just turn a blind eye
It’s not friendship if I’m happy but afraid to tell you why
We cling to the hope of resurrection in the long haul
A gamble to see if time really does heal all
My guard is up but who am I sabotaging if I don’t retreat?
Whether I stay or go, you’ll still haunt me on every street