She used to be calm,
But now she’s even calmer …
She walked slowly,
But now she walks even slower …
She talked freely with the right person,
But now
She barely talks at all …
She mingled happily with her best friend,
But now
She avoids everyone …
She expressed herself openly,
But now
She keeps everything inside …
She used to dream of the stars
But now
She barely looks at the sky …
She used to dance in the rain
But now
She stays inside, dry …
She used to laugh with abandon
But now
Her smiles are rare and shy …
She used to sing her heart out
But now
Her voice is just a whisper …
She used to chase after adventures
But now
She hesitates to even try …
She used to believe in magic
But now
Her wonder seems to die …
She lost her beloved, her heart’s anchor,
Now she drifts, untethered and forlorn …
Grief has woven shadows in her days,
And joy, once bright, feels tattered and torn …
.
.
Ya’ Aburnee/ arabic
(n.) lit. ‘may you bury me’
a declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before another person because of how unbearable it would be to live without them
.
.
.
Have you ever felt like these for anyone?
Roksana Tales 