Unkept Vows

Sitting on the swings,

my niece’s eyes wide,

asking if I’d ever let her down,

every word hangs like smoke

in the air, unshaken.

I grip the chain,

a quiet creak,

where laughter used to echo,

where promises flowed like rivers,

now just a whisper of what I meant,

a promise, soft as her smile,

yet I know I’ve faltered,

leaving shadows in my wake.