Radha’s Song

You wouldn’t know how it feels, would you?
To love a man who’s claimed by many.
Who am I but just another woman,
lost in a throng of admirers waiting
for a glimpse of his dark, dimpled face.
Tell me something, have you ever known
the fear of being overlooked? To be
a mere trifle in the bigger scheme of things.
How could he, who was loved by so many,
discern my love from the others?

He looks at me and sees a girl
he adores. He does not see that the girl
pines for him, that she wonders if
she is worthy enough, if he will remember
the way her anklets sing
when they see him coming.

The flowers adorning my hair wilt
when he says goodbye. He will not
understand this ache, this emptiness.
His heart has room for many while mine
just sings his name. I am not jealous,
I do not complain when he leaves.
I should have known from the
very beginning. Inside the boy who
laughed and flirted and held my hand
was the cold heart of a god.