by Aadrika Gupta
I was a wide-eyed girl Who left behind A ribbon wrapped box sheltering a shoe And along with it A long lost dream Of a 6-year-old In search of her prince So she could be his queen someday. I left behind my old self Used to the warmth of my home In pursuit of new abilities With occasional hiccups Disguised as troubles Only to realise I now yearn for that comfort In someone else’s lies. I left behind my diary Safekeeping my childish fears And happy moments For I’m too scared to laugh At those once jovial things As the thought of a new day Dims the light of the wide-eyed girl self.