there shot from him a suppressed sigh.
he strained to remember-
‘when was it I last got a call from my children’?
he rocked in agony
his heart beats quickening….
how little he sought
and how little he gained!
he lived for his children.
well settled, they now stay far away.
in the mirror
peering into his disintegrating face,
he airs out….
– his loneliness
– his ailments
– his thirst for his children
his voice trailing into the heedless sky
until they shrink down to a single breath
in and out, in and out……
like a lizard waiting for its prey
he sees Death waiting near.
he envisions a coffin lowered down
not borne by anyone familiar
but by some strange hands
gladly he steps down
closing his eyes, he lies inside
waiting for the warm kiss of his children
a parting gesture due for any parent!