Passer-By

By Rasika Masurkar

I was reading my novel, in that little coffee shop,

When I heard your laughter and chatter nonstop.

You seemed blissed out, lost in a charm,

With you wife grinning bright, clinging to your arm.

It was truly satisfying to see that joy,

Maybe men are different, but I saw you as a boy.

Those empty clouded eyes, With a contrast so stark,

I was firsthand witness to a past that was dark.

You would flash a smile that was clearly fake

Emotional wall so brittle, on the verge to break.

You were written between lines that no one could see,

But I read you like a bold text, you always had me.

And it was such a sacred bond, how we got along,

Saved in a vault, like a secret song.

I untangled you so well, layer by layer,

In the war of your mind, I was your dragon slayer.

It’s a very long story, this is not even a half,

It was so mesmerizing when I made you laugh.

But you probably won’t remember that awful phase,

And maybe erase me too, along with those sad days.

I had no say over what you would choose,

There was nothing to gain, but everything to lose.

You could stay tied up or simply be free,

So, you made your choice, it just wasn’t me.

In the book of my life, you’ll be a folded page,

With the wings of freedom but locked in cage.

But, for you I will always be a free fall,

The darkest chapter, you never would recall.

Maybe,

Someday you’ll recite this poetic story,

You’ll skip my chapter, the whole inventory,

Or maybe, you’ll feel sorry and tell your wife,

A tragic little chapter of this passer-by in your life.

By Rasika Masurkar