Jayati Chowdhury (India)

Dancing on our toes
Giggles we shared,
Remember those days we were in,
Nurtured with care.
The gentle breeze and the whisper of leaves
Echoed the dream that both of us shared.

The bitterness of misunderstanding,
The cry for truce!
Those stealing moments of pretension,
And the strong belief-
All is well that ends well.

Those days of adolescence,
Bottled up with conflicting thoughts
And disheveled mind,
The solace we took
In each other’s understanding.

Frolic and fun of college days,
Boys and blushes everyday!
Those fleeting moments of clandestine realization,
We have in us -
The quality ‘woman’s compassion’.

Lost in the maddening crowd
We went astray,
Struggling to match the steps with the trend
To be the unrivalled imperative.
But alas! I, me, mine and no one else.

Tangled in the density of life,
And caught in the web of adjustment,
Reminds me of the freedom of innocence we shared.
Leaving aside everything,
Raked by the warmth of friendship,
With love- this letter to you my friend.