Moments

A few moments are left.
Just a few moments more,
And I’ll depart from this city,
from his city.
Moments are all we have.
It was a moment, long ago
When while crossing a road,
he looked at me.
First time ever someone didn’t look but saw me.
I can still recall that look
which made me so special that day.
It was just a moment when
while I was humming a ballad, a love ballad
he started tapping his fingers on the table between us.
He was listening to me.

First time ever someone didn’t just hear but listened to me.
I still remember his taps.
It was also a moment when
while dancing in the rain
he kissed me.
First time ever someone didn’t just hug but kissed me.
His touch is still fresh within me.
It was a moment too
when I was sharing travails and tidings of my life with him
and he had tears in his eyes.

First time ever someone didn’t shed his tears for me.
Their twinkle is still shining with me.
It was also a moment
when while lying down on the roof top under the full moon
I told him that I love him.
First time ever someone didn’t conquer but won over me.
It was just a moment
when he handed me his wedding invitation.
He was getting married to his cousin.
A girl his mother had chosen for him.

First time I wasn’t defeated but lost.
It’s again a moment
that I am packing up and departing
from his city, his look, his hearing
his kiss, his tears, his win
everything, just everything.
It’s a moment again
that I am waiting for the bus
with sheer emptiness and nothingness
of heart and soul.

First time I am feeling such things.
There can be many ‘first times’ in life,
something said inside me.
It’s a moment again,
a last one in his city.
I am sitting by the window seat
with endless tears flowing from my closed eyes.
I don’t care about anyone, anything now.
No one remains important to me any longer.

First time no one remains important to me.
Simply a few moments to linger on.
Just a few last withering moments in this city
in his city.
And then everything will be over.
Just in this very moment someone has kissed me,
a known touch indeed.
And I come out of everything.
He is sitting beside me
with tears in his eyes too.

Once again I am looking at him with tears in his eyes.
‘I want to spend my life time loving you.’
The ballad I once hummed,
he is singing now.
A moment again.
Just a moment.
Moments… all we have.

(This poem has been published in the December, 2010 issue of Pink Pages Magazine).