Thoughts in Bonsai: Twenty-Eight

1. I have removed your pictures from everywhere.
Only from my heart I cannot remove them!

2. Who will tend to this house?
Every day something breaks!
Who will set foot in this house?
Even I have no place here anymore!

3. After so many days, you cursed me today!
After so many days, you spoke my name today!

4. The one who loves me—
I don't even need to call them close!
The one I love—
I cannot even call them close!

5. Everything must be abandoned one day.
Either we abandon,
or we are abandoned!

6. The one with whom I spent so many days
never spent a single night with me!
The one with whom I spent so many nights
never spent a single day with me!

7. You know, they saved me
by threatening to kill you!
Otherwise, am I one to listen to anyone!!

8. No one can reach me.
How could they anyway?
My eyes show everyone the wrong path!

9. First let hearts meet,
then, if you will, let bodies strain together!
What shall I do, tell me!
Even to sin, I need this virtue!

10. We all live in that life
which was never meant to be ours!
Such bravado from stealing others' lives!

11. Why do you suddenly press so close?
Is it time to move away, perhaps?

12. Seeing me burn like that—
what joy they felt!
That was the first time I saw humans triumph without any achievement!

13. The mirror said in annoyance that day,
Why do you keep looking so often?
Even before dying, people don't look at me this much!

14. Perhaps there is no medicine left!
They tell me every day,
Live, if only to see tomorrow's morning!
Why doesn't such a morning worth seeing ever come!

15. Don't let anyone complain about your love!
Not even the one you love!
Do they shed the tears of love for you!?

16. I feel strange somehow!
I will sit in prayer for a while!
I will talk with God for some time—
Don't mistake it for weeping again!

17. Stop cursing me and weeping.
The remorse of returning you
weighs far heavier than the pain of not having you!
What harm would come from not cursing one already cursed!?

18. When father's pocket holds no more money,
still his lips hold prayers.
When your pocket had no money,
what was on your lips—place your hand on your heart and tell me?

19. When I did wrong,
when mother felt great pain,
she would weep so much!
Today I understand—
that wasn't weeping, it was prayer;
otherwise, how would so many sins wash away!?

20. One who has no people of their own—
who bandages their wounds!?
One who has no sister of their own—
who ties rakhi on their wrist!?