the quiet departure of closeness
distance rarely begins loudly
there are no dramatic endings
no final declarations
announcing that something
has changed
instead
it happens slowly
a conversation becomes shorter
a message arrives later than usual
laughter fades into politeness
warmth turns into habit
until one day
you realize
the person who once knew
every corner of your thoughts
now stands
on the opposite side
of silence
and the hardest part
is understanding
that sometimes
relationships do not end
they simply
fade
penned by a quiet observer









