Wait Poem by Tribhawan Kaul

Sitting in the hill top hut
near the window night and day
her lustrous hair toying with breeze
clouds competing every day
to catch her glimpse
opportunity there to seize
to be her companion
as she waits for the union.

Waits.
salutations, the first rays of the sun offer
her red shot eyes pretend to be sober
tears roll down and wail
when she feels the shadow of her beloved, sail
and creeping behind her back
racing heartbeats force her, to turn
only to find caressing, her
His.. favourite window curtain.

Waits.
Cooing of doves and their necking
On that old banyan tree
not dropping her gaze
she feels for her neck
and flash came the night of her wedding phase
‘When he held her tight and kissed on her lips
then begged to leave with a sigh
On duty to border, with a smile, he bade her good-bye.’

Waits.
Serpentine roads juggling her mind
as a dot appears to tease her kind
rush of blood banish her gloom
in nearby pond, a lotus blooms
doves hover, flapping their wings
stream behind the hut, wants to sing
she looks into the mirror and rushes outside
wait gets over as he stands beside.

Wait has ended, for the fortunate one
most of her likes are brought to funeral
coffins draped in national honour
shedding tears, their only succour
no blooming lotus but booming of guns
no morning amber but setting sun
hovering doves not to be seen
hawks snatching all the sheen
Souls of departed now awaits them.