When in the throes of pain and rough life,<\/p>\n
I often go for a walk near my home,<\/p>\n
The path is secluded,<\/p>\n
And only walkers inhabit it<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Today I seemed to have more burdens than before –<\/p>\n
As the balm of walking was not working,<\/p>\n
After persisting for a while I realized<\/p>\n
There was something wrong with the works.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The social cannibalism of the past year<\/p>\n
Had broken my will somewhere,<\/p>\n
There was no light I could see,<\/p>\n
No mountains to cheer me up.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A man can only swim so long<\/p>\n
As he has free water in front of him,<\/p>\n
You can be incarcerated in your sorrows,<\/p>\n
Incapacitated in your fitness.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The only out I saw in my malady<\/p>\n
Was to call her and bare my burden,<\/p>\n
But my stigmas were powerful<\/p>\n
And capacity to suffer large.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
After days of undiminished suffering<\/p>\n
I turned mad to find a relief,<\/p>\n
The only thing I could think was<\/p>\n
To call her right away.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I called her during the thick layers of the night,<\/p>\n
When the scene was eerie,<\/p>\n
And loneliness was crushing –<\/p>\n
Thoughts seemed to echo back.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I woke her up without offering excuse,<\/p>\n
After exchanging perfunctory greetings<\/p>\n
I tried coming to the point,<\/p>\n
But burst into a sob.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The sob lingered for a while,<\/p>\n
With stone-silence from her,<\/p>\n
Regaining some control<\/p>\n
I apologized for my misbehavior.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Finding an opening she took charge<\/p>\n
And encouraged me to continue sobbing,<\/p>\n
Without inquiring about the reason for it –<\/p>\n
A strange therapy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When tears started to dry out<\/p>\n
I told her about my shame,<\/p>\n
She appealed that it was good to cry<\/p>\n
To uncoil the disturbed soul.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
After the call it felt the surf<\/p>\n
Of pain had receded though not gone,<\/p>\n
But I knew I will remember forever<\/p>\n
When fate made me cry in front of her.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Suffern, New York, August 31, 2016<\/p>\n