Greatest eagle, black and white,
Tell me how to reach the skies—
Wander with wind into the night,
Are you lost like me when you fly?
I see you marking the flaming sun
And want to follow your windy path,
Rising after moon, majestic one—
What trials of life in your aftermath?

I remember when I walked the Earth
in the days before I died.
When ***** chancellor ****** rose,
after the Reichstag fire.

I remember a November night
with a million shards of glass.
I never felt more all alone,
that night my lover passed.

After that, I had no rights,
I was forced to bear this sign:
A pink Triangle swatch of cloth,
by this I was defined.

I remember some with David's star
would look down their nose at me.
We were under the same sentence-
had not our deaths all been decreed?

I remember when I walked the Earth
in the days before I died.
Before mein Fuhrer dug for me
my grave up in the sky.

The dawn, still the quiet embers
linger, wander, falling under
spells to uncover

Hands grasped golden nights
music fiery, blazed the heavens
mingling with starlight

Morning birds on wing,
dawn of sacred blessings  
calling lovers home

I was engrossed in falling in love with Atticus Finch all over again,
when you came and sat before me in the train
I don't know why.

Without looking up, a side glance,
I started to judge you as you arranged your stuff
White side burns, specs from the forties
A pale yellow shirt with blue stained pocket
There was something about stains from ink pens
I found hypnotic, emanating wisdom I suppose
pants inches above your feet

I pretended to stop gauging you as you settled down
You smiled at me. Why would you smile at me?
Uncomfortable silence

"You know, that is my favorite book!"
Of course it is, it's a classic
"Mine too, reading it for the fourth time."

I heard the ice between us crackling and crushing

You took your wallet out and opened it
to where your wife's black and white picture resided
"Look, this is my gorgeous wife,
I am going to meet her where we met for the first time.
I hope the train reaches on time,
she hates it when I make her wait,
military father you know!"

I smiled at your sparkling eyes
caved in between the black circles of a fatigued life

"She is very beautiful, sir."

You laughed
"Of course she is, it was love at first sight.
Why were you telling me this?
I don't believe in love
I still remember a mischievous adolescent me,
ogling at her as she walked out of her home,
I followed her till the bus stand.
Half a step into the bus, and she turned around and walked towards me,
my heart forgot about its sole purpose.
You know what she did then?"

"Smitten by your charming etiquette, she kissed you?" I grinned at my wit

"Ha, I wish! She came red faced to me,
with innocent eyes trying to show off barren anger,
and she slapped me!
I had to pretend really hard that it hurt,
but oh! those flower soft hands,
they lingered for long on my blushed cheek."

We burst out laughing over your juvenile confession
fading into a never ending smile

"Finally one day, she turned around from the bus, but just smiled,
I lived a thousand lives in that split second.
I didn't see her for months after that.
smiling at her picture you almost cried
I had decided to stand on my own feet,
so I could ask her father for her hand in marriage.
Dare she say no now,
I'd steal her from the end of the world." You winked.

I went back to my book as you gave way to sleep
Sorry Atticus, your admiration is being shared

As I got down the train, I saw you
seated at the platform on a ***** wooden bench
with rusty brown scraps falling out of the wet wood

"Weren't you going to meet your wife, sir,
do you need any help?"

"This is where I saw her for the first time,
like you were talking to yourself
when she had gotten out of a train,
I missed mine after that of course.
you chuckled and then sighed with satisfaction
Look, here she comes!
ecstasy
Sit here my love,
I missed you.
I got you the bangles you had asked for,
you know I can't say no to you.
That mascara in your eyes my dear,
you take my breath away, every time,
like you did sixty years back.
Yes, I love you too.
Meet this kid from the train, don't scold me,
I told her everything about
how you swept me off my feet.
Remember, when your father held a gun to my throat
as I asked him for your hand,
he declared he would shoot if I even shivered,
I almost wet myself!"
you grinned and ****** back on one side,
like somebody mischievously hit your arm
from thin air

No I couldn't smile this time.
I looked in to your soulful eyes one last time
and turned towards the invisible figure.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am."
And I walked away, with tears trickling down my eyes.











.

Images float in-front of your eyes.
Your hair flies in the wind, almost wild.
You struggle with your skirt a little bit,
Feeling glad that you wore shorts underneath.
The wind can be heard even over the
Honking of the cars, as it carries some
Stray, withered leaves.
The sky has darkened and you can smell the
Freshness of grass over the smoke and
Stink of ******* dumps in the open.
The crows start flapping around in
Choreographed committee and start cawing
About the latest weather changes.
It somehow doesn't surprise me that this
Reminds you of countless others you
Might know.
The crows ruffle their feathers and
Take shelter in predefined places.
It is another rainy day amongst
Billions of others that have occurred.
To state the obvious, you have too
Much time in your hands if you begin
Describing another rainy day.

Dust settles.
No longer shall
Pattering feet
Send it flying

The walls stop echoing.
No longer shall there be
Loud joyous voices,
Soft voices with whispering confidences...

The tap keeps dripping.
No longer left open
In careless negligence.

The corners
No longer hide
Secrets dripping
From quavering lips

The grass in the field
Will quietly rustle
Missing innocence
And smiles
Of free days in the Sun.