In the corner of my room,
At the back of my mind,
Stood you;
My first love.
My discount, second-hand bicycle.
With a basket and stickers
I made you my own,
The only thing in life
That I ever could.
Unfairly abandoned
As you changed colours
Rusted, neglected, unappreciated
Until now.
In this loud and overwhelming city
My first taste of freedom
The start of my steely self-reliance
Those fleeting moments of serenity
They all came from you.
As I cycle down memory lane,
Wind irreversibly tangling my hair,
I recall all of my firsts
That you led me to.
Those shops
I bought snacks in
With my very own ‘paycheck’
When, for the first time
I felt the power of independence.
That street
I found the kitten in
Apprehensive and hostile
When, for the first time
I understood the significance of being patient.
The Improv class
I routinely embarrassed myself in
And yet, never felt ashamed
When, for the first time
I learned that kids my age could like me too.
The park
I found solace in
The only place I could be alone
When, for the first time
I realized no one could comfort me better than myself.
As I pack up my things
And move to the next chapter
I have to do what I hate the most
I have to say goodbye.
The consequences of your existence
Have now become a part of who I am.
You did what you came into my life to do.
You did more.
Written by Harshita Khanna for MTTN
Edited by Aditi Atreya for MTTN
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