The Difference

the difference
is like chalk and cheese:
when he heard her sobs,
and felt her fears and her pains,
and learned of the storms,
the unannounced quakes and
the unruly tides,
he gathered himself,
dusted himself off,
turned numb to all his pains
and the stabs that were still fresh,
and gave his sweat, blood
and prayers
all to wipe her tears
and to put the smile back on her

but
when the breeze changed course,
and she heard him cry,
heard his tears, and his fears,
learned of his pains,
and, saw him bleed,
all she remembered
was
only her own happiness,
and
left him talking to himself,
or, gave the gift of her roaring silence,
of artful excuses,
a few dressed up words,
and kisses
with her sharpest knives

the difference
was like chalk and cheese:
on seeing her
broken and helpless,
he read the unlettered need,
moved the mountains
and rushed across seas,
to be her rock,
sweated and prayed,
the farthest he'd ever been,
didn't let her even break a tear,
stayed up night after night, so she could sleep,
knew even what she'd think,
and stood by her until the storms passed,

but
when the storms
came upon him,
when shaken, he stood,
he stood by himself, lonely in pain,
broken and helpless,
none to feel his fears,
and not her even to hear his words,
as they
slipped in and out of her ears,
let alone remember
how he'd become his rock,
she instead became a stone,
and
she even forgot
how her life was rocked,
thrown apart, and she feared
would be uprooted,
dreaded her karma coming back, 
when he slogged and prayed,
with unwavering belief,
unconditional love,
and lived her life and fears,
every moment, every day, 
to change even destiny's way!




© sashikant mohanty