Dark ominous clouds
Are all I see
As I longingly stare
Out of my office window
Stuck in a 9-to-5
With no escape
The inevitable rain
Cajoling me
The surreptitious scent
Of sand rising from
Its union with purity
Filling me
Transcending my being
The dry autumn leaves
Drifting with the flow
To destinations unknown
Mocking me
‘Let us escape,
To a simpler past,
When choices came easy,
Happiness was aplenty,
And dreams came true’,
Is all I hear
In the pitter-patter of
Bold rain-drops
Forcing me
To think of
An exit strategy
To abashedly bathe
In the slanting downpour
Wash away the grime
From my tainted soul
Make me happy
One last time
‘No’, I say,
‘I will wait for thee.
Delayed gratification
Is what I believe in’,
My spirit takes flight
But alas!
All my zeal
Goes up in smoke
As I step out of
My chosen prison
Only to see
The last few drops
Falling from the heavens
Crying for my loss
Like the tears
Streaming from eyes
About to let go
Even the rainbow
Seems like a sad face
Mourning for me
I look up at the sky
A plea on my lips
But all goes quiet
The silence
Deafening

– Yousuf Bawany, March 2016