Priyamvada Gaur (Allahabad)

I walked alone on a deserted road,
Though in a physical sense I was surrounded by eyes;
Those were judgmental,
Eyes that were scornful,
Full of contempt,
Partially concern.
I was surrounded by hands, that extended help,
Only to see me fall face forward as they enjoyed their trick,
With a wicked sense of humor.
Although I was surrounded by hands that groped me,
Hands that wanted to hurt me,
Yet I was alone.
Alone in my pain,
Alone in my fight,
Alone in my resolve,
Alone in my will.
Although the surrounding negativity was suffocating,
Squeezing the life out of me in inches,
Although the betrayals that followed the sense of hope
Were tearing apart my heart,
One vein at a time,
So much so that each second of pain seemed an eternity,
A darkness engulfing me from all sides,
Yet I was alone.
As I have always been.
In my triumphs, in my failures.
Because one day when this long, treacherous, deceitful,
Heart breaking journey gets over,
I will look back and see the starting point,
And I’ll see that I was a timid, weak sapling,
But I have grown into a strong tree.
And that day,
I shall be alone in my happiness,
Alone in my contentment,
Alone in my joy;
Alone as I will enjoy the bliss of the glorious sun
And beautiful, infinite lovely colors of nature.
As I shall be at last free from the suffocating boundaries
Of creepers all around my roots;
I will be alone,
As I have always been.