Tears now you can come

L B Chhetri

Tears now you can come
I have no strength to hold you
in my heart any more. 
My heart aches.

I controlled you to be there
for long 

since I met him last year.  

you wanted to come then only
but I detested the idea then 
for I thought 
he needed just counseling,
encouragement and appreciation. 
and not 
immediate flood of tears.

And I did and it worked. 

The wounds were washed 
He was given pain killer 

for he needed sleep  

He slept for six hours 
He had not slept for long
He ate for one hour
He had not eaten for days
He put on new attire

And looked nice
When we said - Hello young man ! 
He smiled. 
He looked handsome
Like a true Nepali lad
we got his rickshaw repaired
and handed him over

the same course
we did last month
he thanked us and swore
he swore by his children
aba ma khanna
mero chhoro ko kasam
meri chhoriko kasam
he waved his hands
and we waved ours
he headed towards the market
to find customers

Now you can come 
I have no strength to hold you
In my heart any more. 
My heart aches.
And  my mind blurs
Over this pitiable destiny. 

Santey is again drunk
and has fallen into the same canal
he fell last month
with the rickshaw and the load

while returning from the market
having earned lot of coins 
to buy tharra 

Tears
Now you can come.

(L. B. Chhetri is a poet and story writer. His many short stories and poems have been published in Nepali and English in Nepal.  An author of Trishanku Ko Deshma; a collection of short stories, he is also the President of the Kabi Dada Literary Society, and edits the literary magazine, Charaiveti.)