18 Days into July

IT WAS AFTERNOON,

AND THE SUN SHINED

WITH PRIDE OVER ITS VICTORY. 

GLORIFYING IT'S BRIGHTNESS

OVER THE LOSS OF SWEAT OUT OF OUR BODIES.

IT WAS 18 DAYS INTO JULY

AND I STILL WONDERED HOW QUICK 

THE 17 DAYS HAD PAST.

MY CURRENT LOCATION 

FORCED ME INTO THINKING 

THE UNTHINKABLE. MY SITUATION 

PULLED ME INTO LOOKING BACK AT PAST.

I WAS AT A FUNERAL, LUNCH.

FACES AROUND ME HAD MOSTLY 

BLINKED MORE THAN I DID.

FOR THEY WERE OLD, WITH WITHERED SKIN

IN GATHERING OF A FRIENDS, RELATIVES OR COLLEAGUES DEATH.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF DAYS WHEN PHOTOGRAPHS WERE BLACK AND WHITE 

BUT A SIGHT OF MADHUBALA WAS TREASURED IN COLOUR.

I WAS IN BETWEEN A PARADOX.

IN THE MIDST OF THIS,

I TURNED ROUND SEVERAL TIMES

OBSERVING FACES AND NOTICING HOW EVERYONE KNEW EVERYONE. 

BUT ONLY ONCE HAD I BEEN FORCED OUT OF MY CURRENT OCCUPATION. WHEN

A GIRL WALKED ACROSS THE HALL,

SMILING AND GREETING GUESTS. 

I FROZE ONE MOMENT AND UNFROZE THE OTHER.

I HADN'T SEEN ANYTHING LIKE HER.

SHE WALKED UP TO ME

AND ASKED ME TO MIND MY LEGS;

END OF FALSE HOPES.

SHE WALKED INTO MY ROW,

PARADING THROUGH CHAIRS

TO GREET AN OLD LADY WITH THE GRACE OF A YOUNG HEART.

IT WAS AN UNUSUAL FEELING AT A FUNERAL. 

I HAD AN ENTIRE ZOO MOVING IN MY STOMACH,

FORGET THE BUTTERFLIES ALONE.

18 DAYS INTO JULY FELT NICER ALL OF A SUDDEN.

UNDER A SUDDEN CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS,

SHE HAPPENED TO HAVE REALISED HER PHYSICAL REALITY.

I GLANCED AT HER MOVEMENTS FROM A DISTANCE,

AS SHE FLIPPED HER HAIR ONLY TO TIE THEM TOGETHER AGAIN.

HER DRESS OF WHITE WITH EMBROIDERED GREENS

PERFECTLY COMPLEMENTED HER HAIR 

WHICH SHINED LIKE WATER AGAINST SUNLIGHT, IN HUES OF GOLDEN DELIGHT.

THAT EARTHY, BROWNISH, HUED COLOUR HAIR

ON THE CROWNED FACE OF FAIR TONE.

SHE WORE AN OLD WATCH, 

I ASSUME PASSED DOWN.

VALUES AND MODERN NICHE,

HARDLY SEEN TOGETHER, LEST THE MOVIES.

SPRING FELT NEARER, COLOURFUL AS NEVER.

IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR A FUNERAL. 

A THOUGHT STRUCK ME.

AWAY FROM MY HEARTS FAILING CONDITION,

I WONDERED THE SOPHISTICATION OF THIS SITUATION.

HOW METAPHORICAL IT WAS.

DEATH MET WITH LIFE,

A YOUNG HEART SPRUNG IN ROMANCE,

ALONG A WEEPING WIFE.

SHE LOVED PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK.

APPEARING AND DISAPPEARING,

LIKE THE MOON ON A CLOUDY NIGHT. 

AS I SAT FOR LUNCH, THE FREQUENCY INCREASED. 

MY GASPS FOR AIR AND HER APPEARANCE. 

FOOD HAD NEVER SEEMED SO HORRIBLE,

MAYBE BECAUSE I WASN'T EATING ALL TOGETHER. 

UNLIKE THE OTHERS, WHO PRAISED IT'S TASTE AS SHE WENT AROUND ASKING.

COURTESIES OF THE HOST FAMILY. 

BUT IT WAS UNSETTLING, I KNEW THE HOSTS, 

AND SHE WAS NEVER PRESENT, UNTIL NOW.

THESE THOUGHTS OCCUPIED MY STOMACH MORE THAN DID THE FOOD.

I WAITED FOR HER TO ASK ME THE SAME, WITH A GRIN.

I HAD NEVER EATEN FOOD SLOWER THAN THIS. 

CHEWING EVERY BITE, PERHAPS 32 TIMES, HOPEFUL.

I WAS FULL AND MY PLATE WAS EMPTY, 

MY HANDS DRIED OF THE CURRY AND RICE ON TO IT.

I ROSE IN QUICK DESPERATION, 

AND HURRIED TO WASH MY HANDS.

WITHIN NO TIME, SHE WAS AT MY TABLE

ASKING OTHERS IF THEY WERE COMFORTABLE.

SOAP NEVER TOOK SO MUCH TIME TO GET OFF MY HANDS BEFORE. 

I LAUGHED AT MY LUCK AS I RETURNED TO AN EMPTY TABLE. 

SOON IT WAS TIME, 

I COULDN'T HAVE STAYED ON LONGER. 

FOR IT WAS A FUNERAL AND NOT EXTENDED CHILDHOOD BIRTHDAY PARTIES. 

I HOPED I SEE HER AGAIN, BEFORE DEPARTURE.

I LOOKED OUT AS FAR AS EYES COULD WANDER,

AND A SIGHT OF HER WASN'T VISIBLE.

UNHAPPY, I SOON FOUND MYSELF IN THE CAR PARKING. 

DOORS OPENED, I SAT 

AND I GLANCED ONE LAST TIME AS THE CAR DROVE AWAY.

SHE WAS AT THE ENTRANCE,

SHINNING LIKE WATER UNDER SUNLIGHT, IN GOLDEN HUES

MAYBE HOPING FOR THE SAME.