The joys of a goodbye

Gentle drops descend as she
gasps for air,
each breath sings a shaky melody.

The sun rises to bid farewell;
her carriage awaits,
distant, beyond the sheltered gates.

Her body trembles with joy as she steals
a final look at the piles of bricks,
which had witnessed her blossom.

The tall buildings stop her from
crumbling, commanding her aching heart
to keep beating with pride.

The wind whispers empty promises of
return, pricking at the gallons of emotions
gently tucked within her armoured skin.

Kia kaha — they chant,
but her face was already misshapen. Carved by a river of tears.

To the place that shaped her
into a woman —

how could she ever say adieu?

 

Zainab Bandukwala
Epsom Girls Grammar School