Growth
Free Verse Prose by Bharti Bansal
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I saw a bud bloom with other buds
They were all going to be flowers
Someone would pluck them to proclaim their love
Some would simply lie upon graves and shrines
All of them happy,
Ready to grow up, asked me, "How does it feel?"
I managed to say, "Look, all your friends won't make it. And those who do might not even recognize you."
They retorted in their childlike voice, "We are meant to stay together. See! We are naked; we have seen each other's bodies as well. Isn’t that a promise in itself?”
I smiled
All I knew was when hearts broke, bodies made the least noise.
But you don't tell children about fire when they learn Earth is mostly water
So when they looked at me and asked, "What's that scar on your forehead?"
I said, "my first school."
"Do you know how it looks like today."
"Maybe it has a floor or two. Maybe it is painted different now. Perhaps the students don't talk about ghosts by the old building."
They cheered, "See, growth is anticipation. I think we will always be curious about each other."
They knew.
Of course, they knew.
Bharti is a 25-year-old woman from India currently living in Himachal Pradesh. She loves cats.