Two emotions

It was a Thursday.
You were coming back.
I had covered my injuries.
Worn a shirt to conceal my wounds.
And I waited patiently,
Waited, and waited, and waited.
Longing, dreaming.
Ignoring the pain.

Then I saw you.
Tingle up my spine, I sighed.
Ecstasy colored my face
Like a child finding their favorite sweets.
And you smiled.
It was but for an instant
But in it, I saw
The reflections of a lifetime ahead.
And I knew we were one.


It was a Thursday.
You were coming back.
I had covered my injuries.
Worn a mask to conceal my feelings.
And I waited, confused,
Waited, and waited, and waited.
Chewing my lower lip nervously.
Ignoring the pain.

Then I saw you.
Tingle up my spine, I sighed.
Agony shadowed my face
Like a leper dying in the desert.
And you smiled.
It was but for an instant
But in it, I saw
The reflections of a lifetime ahead.
And I knew it was all over.


Funny how a simple smile
Can express so contrasting
Two emotions.