distances – Mahvash Mohtadullah

There is a little photograph
That sits upon my shelf
In its monochromatic hues it holds
My world in its sweet self

A vision sits inside the frame
A smile lights up her face
She’s looking out from beaming eyes
In another time and place

Even as I look at her
She reaches inside my heart
Pulling at blue-purple strings
Of memories tender and soft

I can almost feel the comforting
Gentleness of her hand
It lies there like a lilly
On the railing where she stands

I wish sometimes for magic
An alchemy of the souls
for a few quicksilver moments
Your beautiful hands to hold

Then I close my eyes and reach
For your vital warmth once more
I’m wrapped up in nostalgia
For times and places from before

Your photo sits on my shelf, Mama
It’s full of your love and grace
On most days I just reach within
And you hold me in your loving embrace.

I know we haven’t talked in a while
I know I haven’t seen you wear your soft smile
We’ve said things to each other we didn’t mean 
Tearing and splitting the vital seams 
Of the fabric of our togetherness 
I know that I have felt desolate, helpless
We have sat in silence, cold as frost
The glow of our closeness long since lost 
Somewhere along life’s bewildering way
I let your warm hand slip away

I know we haven’t talked in a while
I know I haven’t seen you wear your gentle smile

Through the years we have journeyed on
Along the same path but each on our own
Forged by our children, we treaded their dreams
Only seeing shadows of you and me 
Still together we walked into middle age 
But it’s been a while since I really saw your face
It’s been a few years since the air around
Was filled with your familiar scent and your sound
Somewhere, somehow I lost the quickening string
That bound us together through thick and through thin

I know we haven’t talked in a while
I know I haven’t seen you wear your lovely smile

But I know you’re still here, your pulse still beats warm
Even as we’ve both whipped up raging storms
They’ve whirled inside, while we’ve pulled away
The terrible loneliness adding to the fray
I know that we are distances apart
But I can still feel you in the depths of my heart
Let me find you once again in the mists
Of sepia memories, reminiscences 
Let me hold your hand as I once did before 
Let us walk together, in step once more

I lost sight of you, dearest for a while
Let me love you again, let me make you smile.

Mahvash Mohtadullah

Tag: distances

VERSE | HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAREST ONE 🌺

VERSE | DISTANCES