For A While

By Asha Prabhakaran

For a while,

I let the real me be herself

Let her breathe, sing and dance

Then there was thunder

That deafened her ear

And there was lightning

That blindfolded her

Then the storm and flood

That broke her bones and filled her eyes

Weak and frail

I gathered her

Wrapped her in love

Inside a dark box of secrets

Six feet below

She’s safe here

Just that she’s blind, deaf and crippled

Yet she’s the real me, she must feel safe

For a while

By Asha Prabhakaran