By Poonam Mehta
she is the last leaf
last leaf of chinar
she adorned him in the spring
gave him a dewy morning in a fiery summer
her love has flamed him in a red passionate autumn
she cocooned him in a quiet chilled winter
but now winter is frosty
she has survived for long, attached to that chinar
embraced him from the last four seasons
she was green, then red
turned into pale yellow from crimson and now brown
her skin is deficient, freckled and shrinked
her veins are ripping out
Ahh! She knows this season is also about to vanish
and her life too
she wants to be there, remain attached to that chinar
but now soft breezes are turning into a snowy storm
she is now frail, too brittle
gusty winds are tearing her soul
she is scared, scared of death?
no, not at all!
she is scared of detachment, scared of parting
Ah! fear of separation is always deeper than fear of death
she is anxious that this season will carry her away
far away from his love
she doesn’t want to roll herself into those winds
which would bury her under a white blanket
she begged before winds in a slow crackling voice
please slow down your gust!
please, slow down for a while!
just for a few minutes
and she started to push herself down
twisted her last cord attached to him
she is falling and looked at him for the last time
she is the last leaf of chinar
she uttered, goodbye love!
she slipped into the roots, kissed him with her last breath
and crushed herself to give him a new beginning
to make him rise again from her ashes
she blessed him a new life
a new life for a new season.
Soulful ❤️