Self-Reliance

By Bilva Chandra, Artwork by Naomi Taher

She emanated brutal cynicism
Pouring loss and emotion into cued up soul songs
Hyperactivity designed to hide the painful schism.
The power of denial, the “everything’s alright, nothing’s wrong”.

She used to find solace in a shared slow dance
Reading together on autumn afternoons
Now she craves a day to create alone, a new chance
An unstoppable force, free-spirited, a new Moon.

Suddenly, struck with an ephemeral romance
Conflating what could be, with what had been
Culminating in her strength to advance
Starting again, the truth is where she’ll begin.

Fulfillment and love she will always crave
Though now instead of resentment, her faith drives her
An independent powerhouse, never to be saved
Focused on how things are, not how they were.