After A Dozen Years

A dozen years,

Whizzed past us.

The day of our marriage-

Still fresh in memories.

The first sight,

The immediate blush,

Nervous tension all around,

So much of it inside us too.

The initial years,

Full of energy,

Fun and fights,

Often, fights were fun too.

So much to explore,

Lots to understand,

You about me, me about you.

Understand we did, the Golden years.

Then the struggle,

To find meaning to our love,

Little did we realize,

The meaning was in our love.

Month after month,

Visit after visit,

The doctors changed,

Nothing else did.

Tried everything under the sun,

Never did we worry how hot it was,

Be it the doctor visit,

Or a visit to the ultimate Lord.

Until one fine day,

When all seemed lost,

There it was,

The extra bar.

Not one but two,

That's what we were told,

The joy factor multiplied,

The troubles seemed worthwhile.

They came out early,

Wanted to see us soon,

The little pouches of joy,

The boon of our penance.

Life had to take a turn,

How could it be smooth?

Water played a big part,

Bringing us to a standstill.

Our biggest moment of joy,

Not to be so,

The biggest test of our life,

That's what it turned out to be.

Life took out your left,

Left you with just one,

Two given but one taken,

Looks a fair deal but definitely not.

The months immediately after,

Ones to be cherished,

Saw the fighter in you,

Fought the fight along with you.

Slow but sure progress,

That's how it was,

So proud I felt,

To see the positivity in you.

To see the one I loved,

The one I cherished,

Struggle through the daily routine,

The toughest phase of my life.

The boys grew up,

Cute in their third year,

Sweet in their fourth year,

Naughty through out.

Your hands got better,

Not at the rate,

You wanted it to,

The toughest phase of your life.

I tuned out,

Lost myself in books,

Quite a few friends too,

Couldn't take it anymore.

Drifted apart slightly,

The love stayed true inside,

Stopped showing it outside,

An external shell I had built.

A shell that has to be broken,

Can't really tune myself out,

You need me now more than ever,

If we have to cross this river.

On the completion of our 12th,

Here I am proposing my love,

Till death do us apart,

I will love you forever.