I woke startled
Yearning for the tick of the lizard
Under the florescent bulb
In search of a tiny insect.

On the other side of midnight,
Life was very slow,
Marked by the tick of the lizard.
Stress free, relaxed, and
The ends met smoothly with harmony.
The dangers and sorrows
Left in the mist and the dark of a dawn
Failed to spoil the hope and peace
Left in the heart.

On the other side of the midnight
I lie on the cold bed
With a chunk of nostalgia
Aching in the heart,
Killing the moments with the tick of the clock
In my effort to synchronize
My body and mind to the tick of the clock.
‘Faster, faster’ the unheard command
Chasing me to a fast pace.
The long stretched, snow covered, slippery path
Lies before me
To be walked fast;
To be worked fast;
To meet the ends of the life
Which lie in the opposite horizons.

Do they know?
Underneath the steel cover
There lies a beating heart.
Size of a strawberry;
Full of emotions; and
Wave of love
Overflowing the ridge to be ashore.

Do they know?
Underneath the steel cover
The heart leaps in search of care and love
With every beat.
The squeeze of the tiny heart
Boost the life in us.
We in turn boost the life in you,
Caring, loving and always giving.

Do they know?
Underneath the steel cover
There lies scars and puss.
The face of poverty;
The face of war;
The face of lost and death;
The face of young men shredded into pieces;
The face of women with torn cervixes;
The face of the betrayals:
The face of the cruel world
With its tightly sealed mouths.

Do they know?
The steel cover is full of scars.
Still the heart underneath beats
With the hope and great expectations
To be cared;
To be loved:
To be understood.
A caring hand to tear the steel and say,
“Oh! You are a gentle woman
As any one out there in the sophisticated world”