When the youness in you seemingly disappears
And dreams of mingling with the Iness in me
Do you cease to exist
Or do I

Or do we coexist in parallel lanes
Trying hard to maintain our individuality
While welcoming this diffusion
Riding on the wave of transition

While we play the game of pretensions
Trying to delude ourselves
Creating an illusion of bonding, unification
Dismembering ourselves, detaching ourselves from our moorings

While keeping our respective identities hidden
In a state of forced hibernation
Waiting to be unleashed when least expected
On the canvas of confused emotions

For the island in us
Needs to be cocooned, protected, sheltered
For the ego to exist and to bloom
For the Iness and youness to flourish lifelong

Subir Chakraborty
30th Dec 2022