Fractured Echo

Her wistful smile

Her soulful gaze


The hymn berates—


A smile lingering around the corner

on a soft, yellow-dressed afternoon.


The crescendo creeps on,


shrouded in snow,

buried under white.


The melody falters.


Lines draw themselves down her face,


as the echo blurs

into stillness.


By Saniya Kolangde

From: Australia