Anhad Singh

Second Place

“The Sunset”

by Anhad Singh
10th grade, Morristown High School
Teacher: Marya Wilpert
Second-place prize: $200

“The sunrise is gorgeous, don’t you think?”
Avira turns her head to look at me,
eyes sparkling,
while the sky paints orange.
Entranced by the smile
of the girl and the sun,
I fail to answer.

We are flowers in a field.
We’ve grown up together,
forever,
our roots intertwined,
our leaves conjoined.
And though her petals are a striking red,
and mine are a soft pink,
in the shade of the mango trees,
by the blooming white and pink orchids,
I know it will always be us in this garden,
forever.

She’s always been popular.
Strong and tall,
unwavering confidence,
the one people admire
while I try to stay in her shadow.
But she pulls me,
out into the light,
so I can be seen.

Avira doesn’t come to the garden in the morning.
She doesn’t come the morning after.
I find her mother worried.
“Avira’s sick,”
she says,
“and it’s bad.”

I watch as her vibrant red dulls and yellows.
As her petals begin to crinkle.
As her head begins to wilt.
I watch as the pale white hand of death
grasps her
browning stem,
sogging roots.
And I watch how she is gone,
because it’s always the prettiest flowers
that are picked first.

Maybe,
somewhere,
there’s another world,
another lifetime,
for us.
With our little garden,
littered with mango trees
and white and pink orchids.

But not in this world,
and not this lifetime.

And that’s okay.
We’ll be okay.

I trace my fingers
over her gravestone
as the sky splatters colors
of our favorite.
I whisper to her,
“The sunset is gorgeous, don’t you think?”
She doesn’t answer.