Kalopsia by Pragyasha Goswami (14, India)

My eyes wander,
falling on a daisy
blooming in the
crevices of a broken
building. ​

---

My eyes wander, 
falling on a photograph
capturing beautiful smiles 
and sweet kisses.

My eyes wander,
falling on a stranger
as they play the violin,
the bow nimble and elegant,
the melody soft and silky.

My eyes wander,
and wander,
searching for beauty.
My ears perk up,
desperate for a tinkle of laughter
and my hollow heart thuds,
yearning for solace. 

But I'm just a delusional
and desperate passerby.
Because deep down
I know that
that daisy is smashed,
its sharp white petals
turning black.
That photo is torn, 
not a hint of that smile left;
and that violin is broken,
its strings plucked and its bow
covered in soot and dust. 

And yet, here I stand,
stuck in my kalopsia,
seeking out a way
to escape and to run away
from this wretched reality.