A Heroic Journey

By Pritika Dash

It was when our eyes met that I locked jaw,

Feet faced each other with silence of a pindrop examining what each saw 

I unfolded foremost just seconds later and initiated conversation,

They responded positively but didn’t speak a word throughout the interaction

To understand better let us rewind the gramophone’s cassette down the memory lane ,

Soles of mine beat the tarry road and made a rustic melody as they kicked the morning rain

My soul responded to the soundtrack echoing throughout the lanes of the city,

I stumbled with stupor; even at the first hours I’d reached euphoria’s ultimate calamity

Novice was I not

Who’d give in before blacking out needing to rest days on a cot

Handless whether I am or headless - I might as well crawl to them limbless

They were escapism without which an hour felt like 12 - making me listless

There came a firm voice which left me disturbed,

I couldn’t be restrained! Whatever it brings my way was to leave me perturbed

I whacked the concerned silhouette that the voice belonged to the hardest I could

I didn’t bother to recognise the knocked out body, my mind had resigned for good

A bus labelled to be setting of to happiness passed by me on the misty road,

It swept past me running me over- I watched the blood from my body pour with a roar

Flimsy cracks on my femur or a concussion couldn’t stop me either 

Gripped onto the textured road I made a lousy attempt to move yet further

Coated from head to toe like the best red velvet,

I eventually reached them eyed on my hopes- pellet by pellet

The cyan light faded from time to time but they fooled me not for a second

I was determined to reiterate into my system what to it was once reckoned

There I was-losing my mind having illogical conversations with pellets in an isolated room,

I knew I was miserable but was ready to struggle back for it anytime soon

No one knew! No one cared 

I was ruining myself, there wasn’t a reason to be scared

That’s when yarn of gold filled my void,

Each element of the room turned rare when with it was alloyed

I shrieked in horror trying to free myself using an emergency key,

Luckily enough it fell and the yarn found its way to me

I’d like to thank the yarn

Without its duty how’d I know it was life for which to yearn

And people who came along the way were to be loved and cared for ,

You’re never alone! Destiny will always handpick your remedy from her beautiful drawer

By Pritika Dash