Impromptu Detachment

by San Lin Tun

Things became smaller,

as distance grew between them.

Estrangement set in, their affair abruptly ended.

She deliberately reached out her hand

to touch his as flinched gradually,

withdrawing from her dearest embrace,

a closely-knitted tie between them unknotted.

As if a kite was disentangled from its string,

while the kite runner intentionally snatched it off,

as he felt a sense of ennui, flying it.

He glanced blankly at the drifting kite,

wondering where it would land,

or who would be its next owner.

But he didn’t care.

A gleeful little boy saw it and wanted to possess it,

Realizing it showed no hint of ever coming towards his direction,

He started to cry out of disappointment, so loud, then a shrill,

The kid’s mom consoled him that she would buy him a new one,

brighter one, saying it was no use, crying over a spilt milk.

When they left the playground, heading for home,

the mischievous little boys’ face lit up, knowing

his daddy would be at home, waiting for him to play;

such felicity replaced the temporary veil of sadness.

But, Mom sighed inaudibly for fear of disclosing

the reality to her dearest only son, as she knew

that her irresponsible hubby would not be

with them anymore like a ran-away kite,

after he left with a woman living next door.