Is It Love? Poem by Ruta Mohapatra

No matter with whom he is
She is a quiet presence
At a distance, in the shadow
Non-interfering, non-judgmental

He knows or not
She does not know
He cares or not
She does not bother

It is enough that he is there
It is enough that he is conscious
And often surprised
Often puzzled

Life has many closed doors
Societal norms, one's own conscience
Barriers that will never be lifted
But it does not matter

Something flows through all that barriers
Something invisible, strong and powerful
That remains true through all the ages
That only ceases with death

What happens afterwards, nobody knows!