By Gouripati Sastry :
I was waiting for it.
A red rose in the desert like
Garden of mine.
It will also fade away
No sooner than I hold it.
Still, I enjoyed
Holding it
And taking a close up 
photo of it,
surprising still,
I posted the photograph 
to all.
The close up of my hand
Looked older than 
What I had imagined.
Still, I think 
No harm in dwelling
In the figment of 
Imagination that 
I would live for ever
My hand would look 
Young for ever
Surprising still,
The rose would be fresh forever.
The same way
We all have welcomed
The New Year
Thinking that 
2025 would stay “New” forever,
Knowing fully well that,
Though, we imagined 
    the same way
About 2024 
for 365 days,
though it had one more 
    extra day,
it didn’t stay with us,
even for a moment longer.
Still, I feel,
No harm in thinking that way.
‘Cos it feels better
That way.
n