One Last Step to Glory

As she stood there, on the edge, her entire life flashed before her eyes.

She remembered reluctantly walking to school holding her grandmother’s hands, the night out studies for her board examinations, college and hostel life. Her marriage, birth of her first daughter. It seemed as if she was watching herself through a kaleidoscope. Her thoughts were interrupted when she stole a peek to what lay below her. A long way down, she could see the huge river meandering through the landscape.

Fear gripped her body. She felt numb as she stood there. If the wind were any heavier, she thought, it’d have done for her what she was lacking the courage to do for the past few minutes. A gentle push was all that was needed for the solitary step ahead. Into emptiness. Maybe into a new lease of life.

She closed her eyes. She knew she had to do it. She had thought about it, she had made plans for this moment, and yet when it finally arrived, she seemed to be powerless to actually take the leap. She sighed, as she thought of the loving face of her husband and the cherubic face of her daughter.

She closed her eyes. And taking a deep breath, she spread her arms to either sides. The instant before she actually took the final step, she felt angelic. And she took the last step, she leapt.

The river seemed to get bigger and bigger and she approached it with the speed gravity permitted. The same body of water which was comfortably distant a moment ago, seemed all eager to lap her up, as it had undoubtedly done with a thousand others.

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As she felt the chord tied to her leg tighten, she had a feeling of elation. With that, she mentally crossed off Bungee Jumping from her life’s to-do list.

Cadaver

The dusk fog was mystic,
so did they feel....the shoal of chirpy sparrows.
A setting sun the backdrop,
and the painting looked perfect,
for, no shaman was I.


Across the eastern horizons,
where thee sky and thou river mated,
thou senses picked up a nuance.
An odd catamaran, was it?
Thus ensued a hide and seek,
till thou vision won over the sun’s dwindling rays,
till it surfaced, the answer.


Wasn’t a catamaran,
it was a corpse instead.
A lifeless soul roamed somewhere,
thou saw its soulless cadaver.


A cute girl she looked,
adorning her innocence, a wry smile was.
Dreams transformed,
into a frenzy went my mind.
Came rushing the visage of a young kid,
playing gleefully on thee river banks.


Maybe the Gods got envious,
maybe the river got charmed,
but whatever cameth,
cameth upon her was her fate.


Where did she come from,
I sure don’t know.
How did fate tease her,
I didn’t want to know.
Who was she?
Another corpse on thee river,
seemed to whisper, the nearby flora.


The sun a hurry to go home,
the stars were out, ever shining.
As she came, so she flowed away.
Deep into horizon wandered her cadaver,
escorted by my solitary vision,
Thee river took her away,
her pace meandered.
The sun long set, I stood thus,
a pair of closed eyes,
a muted prayer from a solitary heart,
for an unknown person... an unknown cadaver.