A Single Stroke

By Aanvi Bagaria

In a single stroke, a tale unfolds,

In this painted world, a story is told,

Yet what you see, a mere facade,

Behind the canvas, truth is awed

A portrait may smile, as eyes may weep,

In tender silence, secrets seep,

What’s captured here, a short lived glance,

May deceive you, in a dance

Brushes swirl on canvas wide,

Hues of passion unable to hide,

But shadows linger in the frame,

A silent whisper, not the same

Perspective, much like tampered glass,

Distorts truths, creating a mask,

Within each stroke a story is spun,

Alas, these veiled realities seem to have won

This painting, like our long-lived years,

Holds triumph, misery, regret and fears,

A canvas engulfed with endless strife,

Mirrors the essence of this life

By Aanvi Bagaria