[HER] The ink hesitates beneath my hand To map the borders of a foreign land. I sign the name I haven't learned to wear While salt and shadows settle in my hair. Is there a room for me to breathe? Or just a shadow underneath? The suitcase swallows what I own The ghost of nineteen years, alone. I’m packing up the grit and dust... To hide the fracture and the rust. My pulse is drumming on the woodβ€” I’d stay a ghost here if I could. Under my chador, I disappear Fading out from "me" to "here." The lines are drawn, the ink is dry A silent "how" inside the "why." [HIM] The ink is steady, calm, and clear. I read the rhythm of your fear. Lay down the burden of your past, This quiet storm is fading fast. Forget the girl you used to be; You belong to destiny, and me. You’ll want for nothing here, my soul, My hand will make your fragments whole. [HER] I’ve memorized the garden from your ink... It’s heavier than you might think... I wonder if the veil you’ve sent... Is just a shroud, a permanent... I hide a silver thread inside my shoeβ€” A piece of me that won’t belong to you. I press my palm against the wall... To feel the heat before the fall... I count the steps, I count the breath A quiet life, a quiet death. I step across the threshold to the lightβ€” A flicker dying in the sudden white. [HIM] My garden waits for you to bloom, To fill the silence of each room. A flower needs the shade to grow, More than the winds or sun above. Accept the peace I’ve built for you, The yore dies, giving way to the new. In my protection, soft and deep, You’ll find a grace you've been to keep. [HER/HIM] The day is coming, the moment's near And I’ll be standing right here, my dear. No more letters, no more ink We’re closer now than you might think. I’ll wrap you up in my embrace. And I finally look upon your face. [HER] Under my chador. [HIM] Under your chador. [HER] Still unknown, but drawing near. I’m almost there. [HIM] I’m already here. Β© Natalie Fades & ZeroRhymes. 2026. All rights reserved.