As I looked on, the door was slammed in front of me,
With a thud that resonated failure,
Of a life I lived together with one whom I loved once.
A single drop of tear made its way freely,
From my eyes, down to my face below.
Once a drop, now a stream,
Tears rolled down and down.
I turned back, and looked on,
Life as I knew, changed then.
Heavily it snowed,
Fiercely the wind blew,
Holding my jacket tightly,
Lonely I walked in the isolated streets,
Of a city brought to standstill,
By nature with its relentless downpour.
Denied I was of love,
Bursting open reservoirs of sadness,
Tears rolled down and down,
From the face of my wronged existence,
In front of me, the nature poured,
Incessantly and fiercely,
Sharing with me, my pain lovingly.
Briskly walking down the street,
I see a homeless man,
Shivering and suffering,
The incessant winter brute.
Without a jacket, moaning and crying,
He looked to me resigned,
To a cold fate, harsh and horrible.
Ignoring him, I walked on,
Dwelling in my problem then on.
Slipped then I did,
Fell I did on my back,
Landing with my face to the sky.
Looking up, I could see the snow,
Falling and falling on me now.
I tried to get up, yet the slippery ground,
Let go of me again, with my face up,
Closing my eyes, I thought of my life.
Times of happiness and sadness,
Flashed in mind without recess.
Sure of my innocence, I began to think,
I can either live my life in despair,
Or move on, and repair.
Making my way up and looking forward,
I decided to walk onward.
Resolute in my decision,
To let go and live on.
“Help me, please don’t walk away,
I don’t want to die in this way”.
Cries from my homeless friend,
Stopped me then in my tracks.
Turning around at the desperate moans,
I looked at an unfortunate and lonely soul.
Looking at him for a minute,
I removed my jacket and clothed him.
“While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary.” Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah
Image courtesy: http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/031/a/f/gloomy_winter_by_crtan-d38b72a.jpg
Tenny Thomas 