The Slow Departure

We spoke in sparks that lit the darkest skies,
Our laughter stitched the silence into flame.
But time grew teeth, and distance sharpened lies,
Until your voice became a stranger’s name.

I reach for echoes where your footsteps stayed,
A trail now buried under shifting years.
The bond we swore could never come unmade
Grew frail and vanished, watered down by tears.

Yet still the ghost of us will sometimes rise,
A shadow cast by memories that burn.
And though I know all closeness slowly dies,
A part of me still waits for your return.

Not every ending screams or slams a door—
Some friendships fade, then live no more.