The Pollen in the Air

The petals relax and spread

And in time

The flowers drop, like tears

A boy picks one up

For a girl

"Here, take everything I have", he says

And in time

The girl becomes a woman

And the boy, a man

They marry and bear a child

And they buy a small house

It isn't much but its enough, they conclude

But as the egg falls from the nest

The man drops, clutching his chest

The woman tries against all reason

To bring him back

"Here, take everything I have", she says

She places a bouquet on his grave

And sells their house

And becomes a minimum wage worker

Ever tired, she plays with the child

And feeds the child

And teaches the child

But as the honey comes from nectar

Things eventually get better

The child becomes a girl

The woman gets a promotion

It isn't much but its enough, they conclude

And in time

The petals relax and spread

And the girl receives a flower

 - Ritvij Tiwari. 23/Feb/2023. At home, Raebareli.