I try not to think
Of those rain-soaked days
Of the grassy smell
From the meadows in front of our house
Of those lazy summer afternoons in bed
Where I fell asleep
Listening to the soft tapping
Of your fingers on the laptop
With my head resting on the curve
Of your bare back
I try not to think
Of the setting sun by the Mediterranean
And the New York Times bestseller
On my chest
Like a baby clinging to her mother’s bosom
Opened on page ninety-three
And you, a few yards away from me
Penning down the last line of a poem
Which might never be published
And might just be
For my eyes only
I try not to think
About the numerous times we cooked together
From the recipes we found on the internet
And then settled for a pizza and wine
As even our dog would refuse to eat
what we whipped up
I try not to think
About those aimless long drives at night
When the speedometer will flirt with the nineties
And I would read you Cummings
In the spotlight of my phone
I try not to think
About the starry night
Under which we slept in our backyard
And I told you I was pregnant
With our first baby
About the movie theater
Where we were the only two
Watching a cult classic
About the dingy one-bedroom studio
Where we first started
Our journey together
I try not to think
I try not to think
Because
Every time I think of them
The bruises under my bra
And on my back hurt bad
I open my eyes
And all become a blur!!!
Image courtesy: Pixabay
Dr. Sen is the Lee A Green Collegiate Research Professor at the University of Michigan. He holds research professor titles in the departments of Family Medicine and Biostatistics. He is a fellow of the American Statistical Association and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute. He was born in Kolkata and is closely attached to his cultural roots through poetry literature and theatre.
