Echoes of Absence

 

Echoes of Absence

What if the sky was orange?

I’d ask, and you would smile,

saying, "But it's blue, silly!"

If only you were with me…

What if you were by my side?

Would the pain still remain?

Maybe it would—or maybe,

you’d hold me, and all would be fine.

What if I were all alone

in this vast, endless world?

With no one to hear or scold me,

I’d wither in guilt, longing for love wrapped in rebuke.

What if I weren’t here anymore?

If I just disappeared one day,

would anyone care? Would they mourn?

Would my friends recall our laughter?

Would my love think of me at least then?

Or would the crocodile tears dry within an hour,

life resuming, me—forgotten?

--Advait Nair