By Krishang Raj
In fourth grade, a shadow I stood,
Quiet, curious, misunderstood.
She passed me by, day after day,
Just another face—until that May.
Her laughter chimed, a gentle hue,
Like dawn breaking, soft and new.
Her smile lit up the darkest skies,
And set my timid heart to rise.
We shared our jokes, our fleeting stares,
Moments small, yet filled with care.
But fear, like chains, held me tight,
As courage faltered, night by night.
She was a storm, fierce and free,
Yet calm as summer when near to me.
Her every word, her light so kind,
Brought peace to my unsettled mind.
Love was a whisper, a distant shore,
Her presence made me long for more.
But self-doubt loomed, its shadow cast:
“Could someone like her see me at last?”
The mirror mocked, with cruel refrain:
“She’s out of reach, don’t dream in vain.
You’re fragile glass; she’s solid gold,
A fleeting story, never told.”
I’d see her glance, her gaze would stay,
But every time, I’d look away.
What if she saw my yearning eyes?
Would she meet them, or bid goodbyes?
Friends nudged, they teased, they knew too well,
Yet fear within refused to quell.
A love unspoken, soft and shy,
Became my truth as years flew by.
Then came the day I feared the most,
Her moving away, a silent ghost.
The night was heavy, the tears unbound,
My heart’s own echo the only sound.
The final day, the PTM came,
Her brilliance shining, her claim to fame.
But her laughter hid a hint of pain,
And I knew we’d never meet again.
A voice screamed loud within my chest:
“Speak now, while there’s time at best!
Say she’s the one who changed your life,
Say she’s the calm that ends your strife!”
But fear, my shadow, held me still,
And silence conquered against my will.
No parting glance, no brave confession,
Only regret became my possession.
Years have passed, her memory stays,
An ember glowing through life’s haze.
Perhaps she’s found her shining knight,
Someone who matches her radiant light.
Was it love? I’ll never be sure,
But those feelings remain, simple and pure.
A fleeting story, a moment in time,
Forever etched, forever mine.