I remember when 
I first met her. 
Her eyes shined,her smile was wide  
the world was bright. 
Life was a font of fascination.   
Every day was a new discovery  
that left her craving  
for the next, 
t’was a delight 
to be in her company. 
Together we traversed 
a tapestry of emotions. 
We laughed. 
We cried. 

Then the lockdown came. 
Almost 2 years we hid 
from the world, 
from each other.
It was too hard and too much 
to keep in touch. 
When I finally saw her, 
sadly I barely recognized the friend
I had held so dear.
I walked up to say hi
only to be most struck
by the look in her eyes.

There wasn't a scintilla 
of the lambent glow 
I used to know.
Clouded was a word
to best describe the
lack of light in their shine. 
Vapid vocalizations,   
Hollow hellos,
how do you dos,
an awkward so nice to see you.
What an awkward attempt 
to recapture the past 
in this present 

originally published April 3rd, 2023