Strangers

Strangers

Now he turns his gaze away
Trying to hide his tears from me
To avoid my questioning face
He starts questioning destiny
In denying me, he denies himself
But who am I and who is he?

Though I don't remember much
But yes, he tried to measure once
Our love in terms of hours devoted
Who knows how he failed to see
My moments encasing centuries
His pains were mine, my smiles were his
But he wanted some greater bliss...

Now I wander torn, shuffling the pages
Of my sepia limned memories...
My warm, velvet blanket was he
In cold, sinister, quivering nights
Unearthly flame in my lamp
In  the darkest, crawling hours too.
My comfort, my prayer, my guiding star
Who stood by me when no one would
Now leaves me alone and stands afar.
He extracts my life and bids adieu
Tossing the question, "Who are you?"

Like extinguished wick in the cold dusk
Now I sit ashen, lost, discarded
Trying to feel the familiar breath
That was no more there to melt me.
As darkness occupies the sky
For one more prayer I close my eyes
And learn how lamps self-ignite...
Who burns to erase the stains of night... 

Yes, we walked on clouds together
But now he says he doesn't remember
So back on earth we came apart
And he asked me to love his parting gift
When he left a dagger across my heart.

We often meet like strangers still
Exchange unfamiliar accents.
Then my heart implodes silently
Searching for truth in vacant eyes...
Who infused my broken moments
With shimmers of the truest love?
That serene flood of purity....
Soul to soul who touched me...
If it wasn't him then who was he?
If it wasn't him then who was he?