The eternal moment when time stands still

a poem by Mabel Annie Chacko

Happiness comes this night;
A resplendent wedding procession has arrived.
An ocean of sadness, that welled in the eyes, was slowly checked.
The sound of flutes fill the festive air.

She came only to tell her beloved parents this:
“My heart has always worshipped you;
With the love you gave me, my face bloomed, and
Like an ornament it will adorn my character.”

“Dear friends, those childhood memories,
Those bonds and that affection,
Those swings that we shared in the gardens,
Every moment, burning like a lamp, I take it all with me.”

Despair spread even in their happiness,
Wrapping her in the shadow of pain.
Taking memories of past and going with heavy steps,
The heart wept; the eyes welled up; the spirit cried out.