Mary Jane

 She'll walk into a room and you can see the lights brighten ever so slightly.

Smiles all around, she was that girl.

 She would stare straight into your soul.

 That was your introduction to Mary, no small talk, she would just read you like a book. And you'd love it, because there was no lying to her.

For a few minutes, Mary says, you can stop trying.

She would make you see beyond just the pages of a story, how powerful your mind can be if you let it. 

Every song was your favourite song when Mary sang it. You can never go back, music will never be just words and notes again. 

Mary Jane could make you laugh at anything, at this funny world and your momentarily insignificant problems.

She'll bring back the embarrassing memory from your childhood, the one that you'll laugh at now because time changes everything. 

And time stops for nobody. 

But Mary Jane, she can slow it down just enough for you to catch your breath.

A breath of fresh air, the petrichor in July.

She reminds you of the rain, how powerless and subservient you truly are to nature. How delusional you are to think you're untouchable, but being afraid is worse than being ignorant.

Everything will be okay. Eventually. 

You're going to be okay. Eventually.

She has no way of knowing that but you believe her anyway. 

Her green dress flutters as she walks away.

The crescendo starts to fall, the music following her.  

You can't help but smile, thank you for stopping by.

                                          --Ananya Murali