Watchful and observant,

I separate myself from the ways of the world

And turn aside to reflect…

It is as if I sit at the side of the way

Quietly watching all busy in their own way

Wondering at the ties that bind

One passer-by to the next….

There are those happy souls

Who merrily follow the walks of life....

And something stirs inside and yearns

To be a part of their happiness.

There are those who go by

Carrying with them clouds of grief –

And again….

You wish to be a part of their gloom

To alleviate the heavy burdens

That are carried on weak shoulders.

There are those who walk by

Oblivious to others around them…
Caught up in their own sphere of existence.

And every once in a while,

There is someone who chances to look over…..

Perhaps a fleeting look or a simple smile

And it feels as if

There is indeed a place for me in this world.

It is only too likely

I will never see that person again

Or even have an exchange of words……

But in that single moment,

There is that one bond that exists

As if a sign of hope

Of that which could have been

Had fate been kinder.

It is that one moment

That is indeed perfection in its essence…..

For a single moment it is only us

In a solitary place –

A place where words have no bearing

And the realities of hopes and wishes abound….

Where the distance is so little

Yet you are so far from touch…

Where all flaws are welcome,

Because these are the flaws

That make one human…

And also make you so endearing to me.

 

 

 

 

Then,

Just as soon as it begins,

It is over.

Like blowing sand in the wind,

It is near impossible to grasp a single grain,

And I again return to that same existence,

Wondering…..

How does one define those ties?

Those strings that bind one to another,
That despite being unseen

Are very much a reality.

Those ties that bind us to loved ones,

Bearing the strength to carry one

From one day to the next.

Ties with those who come and go in life,

And despite being transient,

They leave in some way a lasting mark.

There are even those ties

To ones that I have yet to speak with,

Yet to meet one day…..

So fickle these relationships can be,

And so unfaithful are these bonds,

Though one would never foresee it being so.

But,

One tries to take it all in stride

And take from these souls

The light which they have to offer….

For each individual carries a unique gift.

And then it becomes my task

To accept that gift,

And carry it with me as a treasure…

A treasure that withstands all tests of time

And shines eternally.