Durga Dhakal

He will leave, it will leave
Gradually… everyone will leave you

Those who hope for you will also leave
Even those who you hope will leave

The number of people leaving you will increase.
Before you know it, you will be left by your loved ones

Those who are with you will also leave
Those within you will also leave

As leaves leave the tree
Every element you say ‘mine’ and ‘me’ will leave

then
You will only become bare like a tree without leaves.
You will become unarmed, innocent, destitute, nameless

And finally
While you are still hoping
For a moment, just for a moment,
You will leave this earth, this world forever
and
As empty dissolves into nothingness,
you will dissolve into zero.

Durga Dhakal