TO THE STRANGER I WILL BECOME

A quest for answers that only time can reveal.

To the one who is yet to appear in my mirror one day,
Are the roads ahead clearer now?

Two roads stretched before me,
And I stood uncertain, in between.
What do I do? What did you do?
That’s what I long to ask.

At every junction where paths diverge,
And I must choose one,
I badly want to meet you
The one shaped by that choice.
Do you know if these paths are parallel?
Or do they ever cross?
Were they similar, or worlds apart?
Are they of the same length?
Is there a hidden path?
The path I am yet to find
Perhaps then it's better to wait...
How was the journey on each path?

Silly me how could you know?
You must have chosen one, a single path.
The path here, or the path there, or the path I am yet to find.
Was the one you chose narrow or wide?
Was it unmarked or well-defined?
Was it uneven, rugged, and muddy?
Or was it smooth, paved, and leveled?
Was your journey sun-kissed or misty?

Perhaps it was circular, endless
And you’re still stuck.
Or maybe it’s a worn-out track
And perhaps you left that path long back.

Was the journey long or short?
Have you reached the end?
Were there hands to hold along the way,
Or was your shadow your only company?
Was the climate gentle all along,
Or did it make you lose yourself?
Did you stumble upon treasures along the way?
Did the road test your limits,
Or did it show you the strength you never knew?
I may never know.
All I know is once, you stood the way I am standing now.

But maybe
I want to know.
Did the path you took lead to a place worth arriving?
Are you the same me with unanswered questions,
Or have you become someone with a clearer way?
The footsteps you left behind speak of the path’s true worth.
I hope that every misstep you took was worth the memories it gave.
And I wish the right steps you took left behind memories
That brighten my future days.

I have a thirst for answers
That the present cannot quench.
Perhaps I just need to wait.
I just need to choose a path.
Who knows
Maybe the answers to these questions
May change today or tomorrow.
Perhaps looking to you for answers wasn’t in vain.

Reviews

[Soren]

The road less taken here and expanded upon. A lovely write exploring the paths we take in life and their outcomes. To have no regrets is what I hear and yes that is the trick in life. Very nicely done.

[D. Mansfield]

I love this poem, what a ride it was, thank you

[Dhaye]

Separation without good closer leaves endless questions. Sometimes we also feel guilty thinking the other person will be sad while we are happy. On the other hand we blame the other person when we know that they have moved on while we are not.