'Lockdown Love'

By Ananya Pritam

Mural in Santa Monica, by Ruben Rojas 

Holding hands, looking into each others eyes, 

I kissed him goodbye

“I’ll see you Monday” turned into “I’ll see you someday” Seeing each other become an implausible event

Zoom dates were the new “time well spent”

Who knew holding hands would be something so forbidden

And virtual dates would make you more smitten

Looking at our pictures was the only solace,

And his arms were the safest place

In times changing as fast as the colours of the sky

I wanted to see him eye-to-eye, with no phones, and no wi-fi.

Unfortunately, the world said otherwise.

Bonds that had been formed by me stealing his fries,

Were now bonds that grew stronger by looking at the same sunrise.

As the time that we didn’t see each other grew longer

Our love grew stronger

We missed each other more and more,

And we promised each other that our love would forever grow. 

All doubts about our love went out the window

My head resting not in his arms but on a pillow

Pinky promises and kisses through a screen,

We were sure our love was evergreen. 

As we stared into the starry night sky above,

We fell deeply in love,

Maybe it was destiny,

Maybe it was our chemistry,

But we both knew it was meant to be,

Because our love was evergreen.