February 6, 2012

The river and the lovers



the river flowed in a torrent
gushing forth in the rains
breaking down banks and
tearing down everything in its path

but somewhere downstream
it met a boy
sitting alone on the bank
while the river cut it from under him
forlorn, with a faraway look
in his empty glassy eyes

the river felt sorry for him
it called out to him
to run to the safety
of the hinterland
but the boy replied:
i'm waiting for her
she said she would meet me here
and i won't miss that chance
river or no river

the river was taken aback
and decided to leave him
to whatever fate had for him
but what does it see
there, on the other bank
is a girl sitting alone
with the same faraway look
and the same glassy eyes

it asked her to leave
and she gave the same reply
i'm waiting for him
and i wouldn't miss it for anything
now this had the river foxed
there they were, the two of them
waiting for each other
but doing nothing to meet
the river couldn't take it
and asked why they chose to do so

and they said:
we can't meet
not until a river flows between us
a river of hate, doubt and mistrust
a torrent of emotions
transient emotions
we know we'll swept away
if we tried to cross now

we are waiting for time
till the river slows down
waiting for the emotions
to turn into feelings
and thereafter into anchors
so that we have something to hold onto
coz the doubts won't all go away
the river will keep on flowing

we are waiting
to build the bridge of love.

-Pic by Basu.