Riverside

Sunlight caressed the damp earth,

water soaked into the sand of time,

mellowing down to a quiet rhythm.

Hope settles between droplets of froth,

while the air slowly loses its fragrance.

On the banks I sit,

watching waves

distil into glass—

motion turning fragile,

silence learning how to shine.

Nothing seems near,

Yet everything is far.

A distance that breathes,

unmeasured, unnamed.

A barrier I cannot cross,

a veil separating my thoughts—

transparent, almost tender,

letting me see

but never touch.

Nibedita Panda