"Leaving"- by Sreya Sanyal

---

At dusk, the garden fills with shadows,

and the roses bow beneath the weight of rain.

Their petals, bruised and velvet-soft,

scatter across the earth

like letters never sent.

A butterfly rests upon the windowsill,

its wings trembling in the evening air.

For a moment, it seems almost willing

to stay, to let the fading sunlight

turn its fragile body gold.

By morning, the roses will have fallen,

the windowsill will be empty,

and somewhere beyond the garden,

something beautiful will go on living

without ever knowing it was missed.

---