Like a tattoo
in the apple of my eye,
their memory is etched
deep into my heart.
When I open my eyes,
I see their story—
how they entered my world,
how their presence
made my heart dance.
My smile stretched wide,
echoing the joy
that bloomed in my chest.

And then—
it hits me.
They’re gone.

Maybe in their memory,
I’m no more than a footprint
at the edge of the ocean,
erased
by the current
of newer tides.

But why?
I whisper to myself,
cradling the ache
of what never became.
Was any of it real?
Or was it only me—
lonely,
seeing love
in everything that breathed?

My heart bleeds...
but let it.
Maybe when it’s dry,
the hurting will stop.
Then again,
perhaps my memory
will fade too—
like a shadow
sinking with the sun.

Maybe we aren’t meant
to hold too tightly
to the ones we meet
in this brief life...

Still—
I miss them.

By Setty Leon