Pastels
A farewell painted in the colours of memory, this poem captures the quiet ache of leaving behind a home, a family, and a version of oneself. Through fragments of everyday moments, it explores how nostalgia lingers long after we have moved on.
Excruciating, how soft shades of nostalgia can be,
The dull beige of the wrapping paper that encircles
the sprigs of lavender,
The tawny fan, whirring ever so slightly
drying them out,
The pale strawberry of the tulip vase, where they eventually found home,
The sunlight-coloured corner of our drawing-room as
I made my peace with leaving,
The mint green walls of my room where I exchanged wistful
smiles and cracked nonchalant jokes,
The azure lace of my mom’s dress as she shook
her head completely aware,
That my caramel-coloured coffee and wit-laced comments
remained my primary currencies of affection,
The teal of my best friend’s car as she pulled
up for one last farewell,
The starburst of mauve cracks on the porch as
I choked back sobs and feigned composure,
The cool grey of the pavement as we hurtled
towards the airport,
The buttercup yellow biscuits, as I peppered
the drive’s conversation with quips and puns,
And the albatross white of my college-bound
plane where I heart-brokenly realised,
That I had found solace in snark for too long,
And been beaten to the punchline.