What to wish you on your birthday?

After a long tiring journey,
Holding candles and flowers,
In the silence of my hands,
My breathless heart,
Dried up face,
And these tiring legs,
Finally brings me to you,
And I return to myself,
Blissfully happy,
Miraculously re-united.

Wearied from the journey,
I see your face,
Like I see my face,
Or myself!
Things regain their old sweet taste,
And sweet silence,
In that moment of silence,
You squat on the floor,
Curious and shy.

You smile,
Get angry at times,
You give me my childhood,
You show me your bangles,
Your ear rings,
Your sandals,
Your shawl,
Your hennaed hands,
I show you my toys,
My butterflies,
My pencils, my books,

But after a while,
Some one knocks the door bell,
And I wake up,
Thinking it was a dream,
Or a joke,
Joke of a child within me and you,
I look into the mirror,
I smile,
Feel happy,
Monologue starts.

Night comes,
Bringing a dream for tomorrow,
Or plans for tomorrow?
Before I go to bed,
I will wish you a happy birthday,
Then I start thinking,
What to wish?
A toy?
A poem?
A notebook?
A dream?
Or a life?

In a while I will wish you a poem,
You will smile,
And get blushed,
Then I will smile and sleep,
And the wind will bring back,
The sweet memories of past,
When we never existed, but existed,
Of all that we said,
And all that we shared,
Before we were born,
The day our souls first met,
The day I first saw you.


(Farid Gul, London, 30 April 2009)