Tonight, the evening wrapped me in its warm breath,
A balmy tide of air that carried me backward—
Memories unfurling like a silent reel.

The birds sang their twilight hymns,
And I, in quiet reverence, offered them their due.
Jasmine wove its ghostly perfume into the air,
Lulling me into a trance of belonging.

Then, without warning—
The sky broke open, rain fell with a wild insistence,
Hailstones whispering of sudden departures.
For a moment, it seemed—
A perfect exit, a farewell drenched in sensation.

But conscience stirred, a voice...