The Promise

A promise resurfaced yesterday from the twilight of past unremembered.
A youthful sepia face taunted me from the pages of my long lost book.
I had flown to distant lands to live my life of fragile dreams unfettered
And then the shadow came back with my buried wrath and messed up my settled nook

The pigeons cooed all day long, the spider web glittered with silver thread
The once loved voice told the tales of magic woven on the chequered floor.
The hazy line between dream and sleep called forth all the songs of the dead
The unseen hands twisted the thoughts and pushed me towards the ever locked door.

The gossamer lights of eventide brought with it the requiem of youth
The promise which I thought had flown with time, crept by on stealthy foot.
Hours went by and in came the creature of night, a silken moth
Pipal Branches spread through the broken glass and all of them searched for their root.

I woke up and found a torn rag doll, its button eyes black and still.
I hugged my girlhood to my heart and cried till I could no more feel.

Paramita Chakrabarti

1990