Rashmi Elangbam
On a cold damp day
when the clouds turned grey
I met a man holding a crimson rose
who hid his face behind a mask
a mask to hide all his intentions
a mask to hide him from the world
He spoke like a true gentleman
He spoke like a true poet
I never knew who the man was
I never knew what his intention was
I could sense he was waiting
Waiting to hand his precious rose
Waiting to dance under the moonlight
under the moonlight
along with someone
along with the one
I could sense he was missing
missing her smile
her voice
and her dreamy eyes
I could sense sadness
beneath the mask
beneath all that darkness
I could feel that
All he ever wanted was an escape
An escape from this treacherous world
An escape from the eyes of society
But long after the seasons have changed
And the clouds were no longer grey
I never saw the man
The man with the crimson rose