Dawn

a poem by Maryse Saldanha

The cold floor she feels
As she lay there in pain
There is none around her
To sooth all the pain
She prays that this be the end
She desperately hopes it is
As she chants to the heavens
She hopes to forgive

A new place it was
Many new faces she saw
New people to reckon with
And some friendly got
He was one of those many
Until he caught her eye
He was different from them all
Thus he stayed on her mind

A mail sent to her
Reply on the phone
“A ghost am I,” says she
He, “I would like to befriend and know”
Thus the story began
Good friends through the phone
As time went by their affection grew
Not a day without each other felt good

As friends they met
But sparks between them flew
Soon between them both love grew
She was swept off her feet
The world was going around
He stole her first kiss
Her joy knew no bounds

Love for him grew
She wished he belong to her
She loved him so much
So much that it hurt
Without him so empty
With him all seemed bliss
Day begin or end
Only him could she see

As time went by, intimacy grew
They both yearned to be one
In time they surely would
Slowly the picture changed
The distance it grew
She was falling fast
It couldn’t possibly be true

Lost was the love
He was no more
Hopelessly lost felt she
Without him how would on she go?
She had loved him dearly
She missed him so
Lost was he, his love no more

“Why is it thus?
Why such misfortune mine?
What wrong have I done
To endure this plan?
I can’t possibly go on
This pain I must end
Find a way out
From this journey begun”

Helpless feels she
As she falls to the floor
Her body on fire
She writhes on the floor
She calls to the gods
To take what they claim
“Receive my soul”
She continues to pray

To the fire succumb
But shining come out
A precious metal
With beauty profound
I open my eyes
My folly I see
The nightmare now over
Rises the dawn for me