ManicWorld Magazine

It’s a forbidden forest, they say.
Deep, exciting, unpredictable.
And you believed that too, 
For you’ve seen what it does to people who choose that path. 
Some go mad; some try to find a way out; 
and some remain because there’s no turning back. 
Those who managed to get out tell the tales of woes
and momentary slivers of joy.

This, you swore you’d never go through. 
But then he appeared out of nowhere, 
With bougainvillea, roses, and a promise: 
To stay by your side in the unknown. 

So, to him, you gave your favour. 
Buried your beliefs and doubts 
together with the memories that shaped them. 

The sun shone brighter in summer; 
In the calm, you gave him your hand. 
Every day is a step closer to the woods.

But the storm came as unexpectedly as he did.
The vines whipped the flowers until bruised.
The harsh whispers of gushing rain, deafening.
So you held on to him tighter than you ever have—
to others or even yourself.

The wind blew harder, tearing his mask away,
And in its place, a stranger remained.
He let go of your hand as he tried to catch what was left of it.

Just when you mustered the strength to take the final step, 
The fog lifted and you see underneath.
Blindsided by the caricature of yearnings.
Have I known it all along? 

A betrayal not merely of trust but one’s courage.