Days and nights stretched out endlessly
As she sat in a corner, listlessly
Knees drawn to her chest, a vacant gaze
The world outside whizzed by in a haze
She occupied her corner wishing she could
Perish without a trace- at least that would
Put an end to her misery, stem the torrent
Of guilt and anger that continued to torment
Her- ever since that calamitous day when
She and her friend had the accident-
It was a regular day in their high school lives
Bored of studying, they had gone for a drive
In the New England winter, the roads were treacherous
Glazed with ice, but she was not nervous
Her inexperience, alas, cost both the girls
Her car skidded, the worst nightmare unfurled
Her friend lost her life, she escaped barely hurt
Physically, but her mind just became inert-
To the world she was living, but deep within
She had lost her soul to atone for her sin..
Guilt plagued her, gnawed at her constantly
Hollowed her out, no hope she could see..
Her life, her career plans, all were derailed
She felt in her life she had already failed
Counseling, psychiatric visits were of no avail
What afflicted her actually, no therapist could nail…
**
One day she noticed at the window sill
Of the corner where she would sit still
A postcard with the picture of a landscape serene
Saying “Do something!”- she took that to mean
This was a sign from her lost friend in some weird way
She gathered all her strength, got out that day
But retreated back to her shell soon after that
And in her dusty corner again she sat
Until the next week, when at precisely the same hour
There appeared yet another postcard
Saying “Do something!” yet again
She did not let the warning go in vain
She ventured out further, talked to a human being
Things she had forgotten, she again started seeing
Week after week, the postcard appeared mysteriously
On her desk, each time she looked at it curiously
(They were not from her parents, that much she knew)
Each time they inspired her to venture out anew
Gradually some semblance of normalcy returned
She started working, college credits she earned
Finally, years later, she was back on track
The weekly postcards now made a tall stack
The message was the same, it never differed
Yet every message had her towards action spurred
**
On her graduation from college, she did see
A special visitor cheering for her vigorously
She was astounded, for the woman who satin the audience
Was the mother of her deceased friend-
Suddenly she understood the mysterious origin
Of the postcards, they were being given
To her by this mother who had lost her daughter
(She had assumed this woman hated her!)
As she tried to thank her friend’s mother
Both had tears flowing, they tried to comfort each other
“I lost my daughter, she cannot return, but I
Did not want you to lose yourself while alive
My child is gone, but you could honor her memory
By being what she thought you both would be…
When I heard you were in a state of stupor
I knew I had to somehow break your fever
Thus the postcards on which my grief-stricken mind
Could not, despite trying, any better words find
I decided to pursue this tenaciously
And you brought my efforts to fruition graciously.”
**
The guilt that she felt would continue
To haunt her lifelong, perhaps that’s true
But she has succeeded in moving past that day
Hope she never goes back, for that I do pray.
I dream about a day that I
Read the phrase “wedding bells” somewhere
I had not heard, I was unaware
Life is complicated, we know that’s true
The other day I realized how
Passion...unbridled 