Reticence

The nip in the air
And the smoke filled skies
The noise and the chatter
And the lights blinking by.

The warmth of the lamp-glow
And the screams of the kids
The sweets and the smiles
And the festive spirit.

The silences in the heart
And the absence that one craves
The said and the unsaid
And the unsaid that is said.

The dos and the don't(s)
And the ifs and the whens
The should(s) and the shouldn't(s)
And that reticence within.

With a smile on my lips;
And a flutter in my gait;
I marched towards the threshold.

With a twinkle in my eyes;
And a twitch in my hands;
I stood quivering at the threshold.

With a jingle in my voice;
And a thudding in my ears;
I announced my arrival from the threshold.

With a catch in my breath;
And a shudder in my heart;
I stood transfixed at the threshold.

Threshold which I longed to cross-
Was now a ravine!
Completely at a loss, I waited.

And I waited
And I waited
Waited at the threshold...