Princess In A Kimono/ A Lifetime's Worth Of Beats Poem by Shasta Bhutani

A princess in a kimono, sleeves of silk sway,
Silk hides her heartbeat beneath cherry blooms' display.

Wrapped in gold, she stands, far from common lands,
Beneath the obi's fold, her heart quietly stands.

A symbol with a gentle smile to show,
But who will see the raging beats below?
The world sees only soft silk and Wisteria bloom,
Yet her heart sings quietly in hidden gloom.

A secret heart that counts each passing year,
Through hidden joys and through silent tears.
It carried her through trials and feats,
Yet no one notices, no one greets.

She will never live as the rest of us do,
The heart of the princess in the kimono, true.
A lifetime's worth of heartbeats, she will not complete,
Lost in a world that prizes only deceit.