Mirage

A tired, thirsty, and hungry traveler,
trudging through the merciless burning sand,
trying to get away from the relentless,
scorching Sun’s rays,
looks around in vain for a little shade,
He just wants to get out of the heat and rest ,
he wants to get away.

Away from the hurt and agony,
from the oozing blisters and raw and,
reddening wounds.

from the blinding, excruciating pain.
Lying on the hot sand looking up at the sky,
he closes his eyes and through chapped lips,
prays for the cooling showers of rain.

Rain to wash away all the dirt and grime,
along with the pain and heartache of living,
alone and broken, hurting, burning,
feeling of inadequacy and shame.
He wants to be free of the desert.
To never be thirsty again,
to live in the cool shade of affection,
to escape the harsh, angry Sun.

He sees an oasis up ahead and limps towards it,
his legs give way- he drags himself there,
oddly enough, it’s still hot under the tree,
he looks around and finds that it was all in his mind.
Being out in the sun for so long had him hallucinating,
what he thought was the oasis was nothing but a mirage.
He knew that instant that it wasn’t meant to be,
he had nowhere to go, there was no escape.
Dying alone in the desert was his destiny.

Sulekha