Poem: Twenty Years

Ananthi Parekh wrote this poem for her parents on their 20th wedding anniversary (December 7, 2016).  

Twenty Years

She waited on one end of the phone. Listening intently for the 

Break in the highly pitched purrs

And there it came, a soft 

click before the 

groggy voice of her husband 

echoing from thousands of miles 

to the gentle curve of her ear

His happily grated voice bringing an upward curve to her chewed lips. 

And similarly her newly 

awakened tone 

making him happy his sleep was disrupted, pleased 

he'll wake slightly later 

knowing he spoke to 

her. 

And they don't speak of 

anything out of ordinary, they 

talk only of daily life, as if 

these miles were nothing 

and as if the kettle was boiling for the both of their waiting mugs, because 

soon there will be 

his mug next to hers, 

because it's only a few sleeps 

until he's 

home. 

They would read me the story 

of Cinderella 

and her searching prince, 

or that of the Beast 

and his patient Belle

But as time passes 

in my own story, I realise 

the happily ever after 

I thought only existed in 

those fairy tales 

was truly found by 

them. 

Because a million miles mean nothing when a crush lasts 20 years.