PARADISE

In those dark recesses where memories abound,
Lie heavens of solitude secluded from the chaos all around,
Where whispers of longings ring out as shouts,
Where reality is nothing but an abstract doubt.

Where a father’s arms can shelter from hurt,
Where a mother’s words can wipe away pain,
Where’s a friend’s laugh can dispel disappointment,
Where a lover’s whisper can melt insecurity.

Where the cocoon of memories can keep me safe,
Where the threads of the past can hold together the present,
Where the echoes of the past ring above the promises of tomorrow,
Where the river of time freezes to match my pace.

Those quiet paths i do tread tonight,
Bathing myself in remembrance’s soothing twilight,
The chains of nostalgia refuse to release me,
As i try to return to the unrelenting reality.

Then the promise of a sunrise lures me back,
An unknown horizon pulls me forward,
With my paradise safely locked in my heart,
I return to reality’s earthly path.

-Tanya Mishra