She walked with her head held low,
Her gaze drifting softly to the floor.
And in that fleeting glimpse—
She caught my eye,
Her purple dress swaying like coral reefs aglow,
As if leaving clues
With every quiet step she took.
It wasn’t flashy,
Just a silent wish to be seen
In this lost rollercoaster of a world.
In her delicate steps, she came close.
My heart stirred—
And the words escaped before my mind could catch them:
“You’re beautiful,” I said.
She remained adrift,
Her wrinkles paused like a still tide—
Holding moments I’d never know.
Her eyes stayed far away,
As if the past hadn’t let go.
“You’re beautiful,” I repeated.
She heard me this time.
But the air… it changed.
Her gaze returned to the floor.
“No, I’m old,” she whispered.
Silence lingered as she turned to go.
It stung—
But I couldn't let the moment flow,
Like a closed door I wasn't meant to know.
“You’re really beautiful,” I said, one more time.
A small smile played on her lips,
One she tried to tuck away.
I watched her disappear
In a red car
That carried stories I’d never know.
But even in her melancholic grey,
She chose to show up today.
Why do old souls believes
Their beauty vanishes with age?
Why hide away when they're called
With kindness, like today
A banyan only grows more alive
As it stretches through the years.
Its beauty deepens—
Even if it forgets.
And what made it beautiful?
Not ornaments or rouge,
Not even flowers.
But years—layered in silence,
Winds endured and roots held firm.
A beauty not painted,
But carved by time and trials.
Is it a curse? Or a gift we misname?
Either way,
It’s still beautiful—
Like nature,
That made you breathe first.