You!

You've filled me with hope,
Sometimes brought a glimmer of smile,
At others, I'm lost in your thoughts -
Wondering if you would ever come!
But, at many others,
You've whispered sweet nothings
And left a fond wish on my lips,
A quiet prayer in my heart,
Or, inspired me to shut my eyes,
So it brings along a dream
About you!

As fall paves way for winter,
And a playful breeze rolls back the pages,
One thought makes way for another,
Until a stubborn leaf gets stuck at a page,
At a distant memory, many winters back.
When Sunday afternoons were short,
I'd laze in the terrace, hardly warmed by the sun,
And merrily watched the crimson sky fade away
Day after day,
To make way for soft glitters of twinkling stars.
When the silver moon dazzles in the sky,
It lights up the verandah and the galli before my eye,
An unusual warmth draws up around me
Egging me to desire greater warmth,
And I slip into a dream,
To be woken by streaks of sunlight,
Closer only to you!

© Sashikant Mohanty