The beautiful bride walks by
In her elegant bridal saree
A timid smile across her face,
And the bright red kumkum;
Puzzled dreams of her new life,
Not a clue she had;
But it was the last time
I ever saw her smile.
A year has gone by
I still see the bride,
But there is neither a timid smile,
Nor red kumkum on the forehead;
Like a gentle dove she walks,
In her white saree,
Silent like the moon
Darkness walks besides her.
No one to share her pain,
No one to guide her path;
She walks a lonely road,
Reserved for the unlucky some,
She sits by the riverside,
Imagining what life could have been;
Memories of a bygone year,
Pierce her heart like lightning.
The Widow sits and waits,
Waiting for a consoling word;
With a heavy heart she sighs,
As tears roll down her cheeks;
A sudden thought of reality,
Shakes her from the heart.
A new leaf she will turn,
Her tears transformed to flowers......
- Antonio Clinton Highland
