I see your face in every passing reflection Imagining the could haves and what ifs How much hurt can be packed in so few words And completely shift the axis of the world  It was an ordinary day in which we met No one could even call it remarkable Clouds had been painted the darkest gray by some dismal artist's hand Straggling in the midst of the late morning crowd Some walking, Others rushing All getting drenched no matter what they did Only things in my possession were my faded blue raincoat and an old black umbrella that had clearly seen better days. Nevertheless, I persisted. Surging forward, trying my utmost to dodge both puddles and people Of course, does clumsiness ever strike when needed? Never as far as my knowledge can recall. I tripped, slipped, and fell. Did you catch me? No, but you did catch my umbrella. And when we locked eyes, the universe burst into colors In every shade imaginable Gently cradling me up off the ground Questioning if I'm alright As I'm responding, the old umbrella finally gives up and decides to give way to the wind. You gaze at me in concern and I give in to the desire to laugh and save the tears for another day And you finally grin along once you realize I'm okay A split second connection when we were intertwined One moment and a whole lifetime has passed I give you my thanks  Gently shake your hand Bid each other farewell Turn away and realize, I never got your name Too late, I lost you to the crowd Lost to an endless sea of faces Will you remember me? The brief flash in which our souls connected I see the truth in the fact that the most bittersweet words are could haves and what ifs. ©Shruti

Shruti

there are worse things than being alone but it often takes decades to realize this and most often when you do it’s too late and there’s nothing worse than too late. ©Shruti

Shruti