My Lily

Like a lily in the water you stood out,
In the middle of the river you stood firm.
Against the flowing debris of life you didn’t budge,
Mesmerizing to look at you were,
Yet so sad to think of the bygone days.

Your petals struck off,
To tarnish your beauty they did,
Unbeknown to them that inner beauty remained.
Or maybe to the eyes of the beholder it remained.

A thousand letters I could have written you,
None of them ever materialised on paper,
A thousand deeds I could have done for you,
Petrified I withdrew the last minute.
Fear of the unknown they say is worse,
Worse than the unknown reality.

Pruning and watering I did for my lily,
With high expectations to wear it as an ornament,
On my chest and show off to the world.
Unknown to me that it was a wild lily,
An orchid in a public garden.
All that remains are sweet brief memories,
Bittersweet memories of time we spent together.
Time spent building castles in the air….

Poem written by Tapiwa L. Munyari…