Author: Jane

Here in cityscapes
I just want the delicate breeze
To lend me a butterfly kiss
And carry away the gloom from the afternoon.

These cloudscapes are way too tempting
They make me want to float with them
But I am doomed with logic and limits
And left with mediocre alternatives.

I step into streetscapes
Out of my midday discomfort
I trace the graffiti and picturesque walls
Searching for signs of paradise, but fail miserably.

I sprint across moonscapes
They aren’t appeasing, they don’t suffice
In letting me witness how a moonbow is cast
Or providing a guiding light towards home.

So I rely on dreamscapes
To dream within a dream may not be
A random act of escapism after all
At least I get to adjust what I envision.

Ribbons or bows
Till a tiny tot
Tugged at his toes.

Promptly, but not intentionally
I snatched the place of his lady love
And she was now bound to be on
Either side of my glove.

Everything he bought for her
Now came in a pair of two
But somehow the reverse
Was rarely ever true.

It was never a matter of shame
To serve him by pulling out his socks
And he could be the one
To slip me into frocks.

Our bond was a fresh example of faith
And when he would throw me up in the sky
Even a perfect couple remained curious
For when I would let out a cry.

As time flew by
Puberty struck me
Mild touches turned awkward
Not even with the exception of a bruised knee.

Tantrums no longer worked in my favour
Nor could I argue that red wasn’t a harsher pink
Instead he was now ready with a cane
And that was enough to break our sync.

Thrice upon a time,
I chose the glossy finished wood
It seemed like a dime,
From where I stood.

An ounce of forgiveness,
Along with a downpour of the holy river
Has only caused me to be a mess
And a walking wound generator.

Even the banyan tree shakes its head,
And lowers its prop roots further
To say I don’t deserve even a death bed,
Let alone being pardoned by a mother.

Throughout the path,
I subconsciously got tangled in ivy
Assuming I wouldn’t require a calamine bath,
And brush everything off slyly.

Now I sit here by the lake,
All alone on a slimy wooden log
For my own goodness’ sake,
Passing the buck on the fog.

I can easily ask for a third second chance,
And after yet another repeated sigh
I will vow not to call it a happenstance,
But the real doubt is- Will I?

Prologue
An evil eye spots them
It sees them canoodling
Its eyes bleed the colour of blood
And its face catches that of fungi.

Chapter 1
Back in the days,
When love wasn’t synonymous
With the act of treachery
Two lovebirds came and perched on my lap.

One was the girl next door
The other a charming lad
She would hesitate while lifting her lashes
While he couldn’t resist peeking from beneath.

With a little mischiefs here and there
They quarrelled for the space
That belonged right under the tree shade
Or the one far from the water spout.

Chapter 2
His excuse was to collect her tidbits
Hers was to take a stroll
Soon, they became frequent visitors
And I a constant medium for the same.

Out of all my guests
They happened to be my dearest
As I got to witness and devour
The purest emotion of all.

In order to serve them
With the best of my potential
I would fan myself diligently
When the rain showed no mercy on me.

Chapter 3
Once she was sobbing
Draining all of her energy
Just then he came along
And entwined his breaths with hers.

On the contrary,
She poked his wounds,
Even when they’d turned into scabs
For the scars still remained.

It was never to trigger him
Or fiddle with his emotions
But it was to make him feel;
Make him feel how it is to feel.

Chapter 4 – Plot twist
Everything was going smoothly
And a lover’s tiff was usual
Until a garden wall full of creepers
Popped right out of the blue.

It was a third party
That couldn’t stand them as one
So it ignited a fire around the two
And pretended to be the extinguisher!

The plan worked accordingly
To what the extra human had in mind
And despite my sincere plea
They sought the path of destruction.

Chapter 5
Everything had changed
As their egos turned into a new sense organ
Thus, they could no longer see the tolerance
Between the butterflies and the bees.

Now when her tears were evident
He looked past it, and when he did showcase
A decent amount of concern
It came out a bit ruthlessly.

Whereas for me it was like losing a leg
And being in a perpetual state of disequilibrium
Where winters occurred 365 days a year
And the fate of a rusted swing.

Epilogue
They lived happily never after.

Alternate Ending
They returned one fine evening
To collect what they had misplaced,
In the first place-
Their unsaid oaths of love.

The End