Of late

Of late

I see a yawning distance creeping in
Between us, a swelling gap,
The rend getting too big to mend
The organic link, shriveling

There will never be a vacuum.
The distance will continue to extend
Others would step in to mark the milestones
And like elastic, it would keep stretching.

At times you may rush back to me
Seeking some sustenance, solace, else,
Some tangible manifestation
Of how things were or would be

Occasionally, I may claim you again
To just hold against my bosom
To validate my achievement
To proclaim my nebulous hold

Meanwhile, there would be others
With significant, strong needs
Who would play out distinctive roles
And seek the matching recompense

As you grow, we grow apart
You strike out on your path
I wish you would climb high, wander wide, delve deep
Savor the thrills, experience the ecstasies
And that I could but be along on all those rides
Yet for all that we need to disentangle, disengage

These profuse wishes are of little avail
Unless I give you the freedom to fly
The space and time to test your strengths
And uncharted waters to try, and plumb

On these journeys which are yours alone
Your companions, I may not invariably approve
But would learn to school my censure
And not deny you the right to choose

No other woman can be what I am
And I cannot be what they would be
It is an uneasy treaty- no foes, but still
To surrender a vital part of me- you,
To them, who may not know your value to me

No other woman can be so thrilled
By your warm hugs, your deep kisses,
The feeling of knowing you within,
Your moist soft mouth at her breast,
Your eyes forever trained, mutely,
Your words which followed, so sweetly,
Your pranks, your serenades,
Your triumphs, your disappointments-
All these, are eternally mine alone.

I would treasure this familiarity
In my heart, my womb, my lips, my eyes
Each pore of me which has known each cell of yours

Others would crave and know your love
And you would similarly sip theirs
While I stand guard at this fount
That we discovered and shared

You always resent that you weren’t my first -
You wish to alter that order
But does this primacy matter
In a mere issue of sequence?

Lets settle this row once for all -
You are the shiny bright pearl
Charmer, soldier, my own treasure,
I commend you to the world.