Saturday, September 24, 2011

Once

Image Source Wikimedia Commons


By Gaurav Parab

You were not a mistake
Or a piece of cake
Imagine this
A heart of tin
Collapsin
Every day, in my ribs
And it was love
There, you heard it
I said it.

You were not a mistake
And even if I said it
It was for you to think
I am a piece of shit
And make it easy
It hasn’t been easy for me too
If that counts

You need to know
Before I exit
You were pure love
And I was purely an idea
For you
A man child then
A child man now
Yesterday’s gone
Today  I am in love
With her
I always will be

And every song you sing
I heard it. I heard it.
And, from my playlist I deleted it
So you could think I was shit
Do you know what it feels like?
To have no song in your life?

And I am sorry
But is it my fault?
There are things
I did not tell her
There are things I did not tell you
There are things
I did not tell myself

I don’t ask you to feel sorry for me
I am cold. Like I said.
So many times. And yes I lied
I am not cold. I am just dead
On a slab
And the folks from the city
Are on their way
They send a reporter
Her name, floats on the waves

I was no angel
I was no black magic
I am not sick
I don’t deserve love
But don’t let
The very idea of me
Stop you being free
That’s all I say

Hold me like a tin
Every second collapsin..
Hollow and noisy
Then keep it away
But not in disgust
With a smile
Like you always have

You were a class apart
And that’s why
You happened
There I go again
A snob. I slap my head.
And that’s why
We happened

Maybe I am bad
But then, when I say it
People say he is faking it
But we were good
And you were four letters
Love. That's what you were

There I said it
The right letters
Not Drug. Like the one
Maria peddles on the beach.
No, you were more than love
You were, my friend

You are my friend
Even if you think
I am not yours
For I still
Dream about you
And write for you

And Marketa
Like from that movie Once
I never told you
It was not only her
It was not only love
It was death
And there were shadows
And so I smiled my way through
Like the only way I knew
And I am all right now
But I will never forget you
From Once
But forgive me
I have to go
To the sea
-

From That Man in the Picture By Gaurav Parab



3 comments:

Monali S Churi said...

your words are indeed magical...they describe the thoughts so impeccably..

H said...

I have been in love. And I have lost. the wound's still fresh.. and it hurts. And it doesn't. It does too. It does not. Part of me is dead. No- now, all of me is alive.
I don't what else can I say here. Thanks? Hi?
if i could write down all that i said to him for real, and in m head. This would be it.
So.. Thanks.Hi. Stranger.
Be well.

Gargi Gupta said...

Gaurav- After a long time I read such a wonderful poem! very well written!