Curfewed Valentine's Day Poem by Nida Nawaz

CURFEWED VALENTINE'S DAY

It‘s Valentine‘s day
Whiffs of gentle fragrance
Course through body and soul
Livening up a sea of emotions
In endless undulating waves of ecstasy
And refreshing gusts of heavenly breeze
Caress the innermost recesses of being
How eagerly we waited for this day
For one long year
So that we could at least
Sit across a coffee table in a suburban restaurant
To open up the tomes of our heart
To each other like never before
And in the middle of our intense exchange would I
Gingerly place a red rose in your soft, fair hands
I would then repeat once more
In all earnestness
The vow of love
"Darling, I will love you till the end of time"
To which you would reciprocate
In your characteristic dulcet murmur
"I am yours forever", would you say
Striking chords of passion and dedication
Along each strand of my being
Nature would shower blessings on us
Of its choicest flowers and I would picture myself
Embellishing your golden locks with red roses
Myriad pleasures of love would cast
Their seductive influence on our amorous union
As my intent gaze hovers in the vast horizon
Of your crystal blue eyes
And in spite of having forgotten to add
A cube or two of sugar in our coffee cups
Each sip would taste sweeter than ever
But my love
It's all easier wished than done
Because "curfew" continues for the seventh day today
A pall of horror hangs over the entire city
All roads big and small
Are deserted
And even the birds have curled up
Their wings in fear
Phones, Internet, Cable network
Are all paralyzed
So while their unsavory state prevails
May I decorate my forehead with the feel
Of a million roses
And bow before your comely image
In the sanctum sanctorum
Of my own soul
So as to save the honor of Valentine's Day
So as to save the grace of LOVE itself.
(14-02-2013/Srinager-Kashmir)
Transcreation by Ashfaq Lone