Sadness Poem by Nadia umber Lodhi

Sadness
In the murky twilight,
Deep within a corner of the room,
Concealed lies sadness—
Slowly, persistently gnawing.
With its sharp, pointed,
Tiny little teeth,
The vastness of the room
Is devoured beneath its bite,
And with it, the quiet solace of the heart.
In the still, frozen air of the room,
Sadness continues to swell.
Yet, even full-bellied,
It does not cower into sleep;
Clasping a cluster in its jaws, it sets forth—
To deliver to a soulmate a message of grief,
A whisper of sorrow.
Marching in solemn single file,
Toward the barren courtyard where stands
An ancient banyan tree—
Into the crevices of its hollow roots
It buries its cherished burden,
Ever hoarding
A treasury of grief.
From the silent tree hangs a vacant swing,
Keeping endless vigil
For those who have parted.
The tide of sadness never lulls;
It swells into a dirge, resounding
Through the mourning air.
Nadia Umber Lodhi