It Is Only You That I Want. Poem by Seema joglekar

It is only you, I want, more than your peace and rest.
More than parched lands seek the din and clamor of a burst of cloud, with no show of mercy.
Even if you blaze like a storm, dark clouds of age -long desire seek their due in exchange,
Like a dogged crane not faltering in its direction, veer in gusts of wind to find my bearing,
Till you exhaust your despair and dark discontent,
Till you deign to shower me with your forgiving largesse and grace
That I have once seen extend from your large hands.
If your eyes flash in anger like lightning, it shall only work to light our path
And kindle the lamp of love and help me to steady us onwards.
If you roar and thunder and hold me captive with your concerns,
To you I shall cling like a child in terror.
It is only you I want more than your peace and rest.

It is only you I want to breathe life into my tired limbs with your one word
And take away the weariness of the road.
Grace me with your presence, holding high your torch of stead-fastness
To make a bonfire of all those absences and despair of many partings
Like the autumn leaves paving the doorway to our hearts.
Let us dust away and let new buds blossom
In the game of chance, be no more, pawns of pleasure and pain
Let new colors flush out heart-longings, but their perfume betray not our secrets.
If you know I have been down this path before, yet here I remain.
Let me hand over the helms into your able hands
Come like the realization of my dreams and the fulfillment of my destiny.
Only then I shall be ready to share silences when you ask me to shut the door behind me.

It is only You I want to help me cross this threshold of life
With freedoms only afforded to me by you.
Break into my veil of pride, pushing it aside see me decked
in my ornaments of imperfections and anxieties.
Spare a moment's indulgence, sit by me side by side, face to face,
Let me then entrust myself to your safe-keeping with a surrender of will.
You have been mine once before, claimed by the same yearning eyes
Come find out what it's like to claim me once and for all by reaching out to me this once.
It is only you that I want, to enter my life like the spring
That presses and pushes its warm signet over the cold fingers of winter.
Come let me repay your silent forbearance with my signature of submission
Till it echoes with joy from star to star and releases the music
Sealed by the lips of the moon in a wordless world of silence.

Seema
7th June-14