I still remember the time when I first saw you
A divine human being that could rival gods and goddesses
Maybe that was why you were placed in this rotten world.
Such speed and agility you have could make Hermes mad
Such beauty and grace you have could make Aphrodite fumed with jealousy
Such brightness and warmth you have could not compare to Apollo himself.
I will always follow you and protect you in this rotten world.
More importantly, I will always love you, divine or not.
It was not my intention to make you wept, my dearest.
Don’t dirty yourself with my merely mortal self. Let go of my body. Let go of my soul.
For then I could be with you when the time has come for us to be reunited.
Our path of lovers was covered by the devotion of lavenders
And such things should not be withered by our suffering.
I will wait for you on our path of lovers…
But then,
From the moment you took my hand
I recognized you all at once.
I still remember the first time I saw you
Now a mere mortal, a kind human being with a giddy smile
Who rang my name so gently like it was a delicate hope.
I recognized you all at once.
I recognized you from the way you laughed
You’d always burst out laughing with one hand covering your mouth.
I recognized you from the way you walked
From the graceful and confident sounds of your footsteps.
I recognized the way you interacted with people
You always listened to them, giving all your attention to them
And your eyes would not break away.
I recognized you from your scent
A clean soap, with a hint of fresh mint from your shampoo
I recognized you from your touch
From the way you tenderly caressed my skin.
Such brightness, warmth, beauty, and grace…
Long I have been waiting for you on our path of lovers.
Long I have been waiting for the time we finally meet in a field of lavenders.
But even if we finally meet again in a different world
With different names, bodies, minds, and manners
I knew that it was you all along
And I still love you either way, divine or not.
For what is the purpose of having a divine self, if we do not feed our hearts with love and compassion?
Author: Kenar Syalaisha Kanayana
Editor: Nanda Pratama Putera Tomasila, Vonna Meisya Saputra(QC)
Illustrator: Ajeng Suci Hati