What If?

She’s happily married now,
Well,
At least in the moments the rhythmic drum of their hearts fade,
Otherwise,
The echoes of her heart in sync with that of destiny unfulfilled,
Are,
A taunting ghost scratching at a scar that cannot be healed.
And he is too,
Carrying the subtle weight of an unconditional bond –
Pre-determined, but never actually bound –
To an unmet soulmate now a lifetime away,
But once just a conversation apart.
And they both question the existence of that moment:
The paths of two strangers brushing past –
Like a pair of shooting stars jointly filling a void,
Streaks of brilliance promising to meet,
But fizzling out before they coincide,
Now each on their own trajectory, invisible to one another.
Was their fate untied,
By a pair of seemingly mindless stares,
Both teasing fleeting glances,
And failing to catch the eye that could have been?
Apathetic and numb,
They now watch the wrong stories unfold,
Somewhat unaware of how close they came,
To a life so different, yet so natural.
And they’re content,
Well,
Resigned to their story as it is,
But the trace of another,
A love that danced on the precipice of existence,
Is forever etched in the corners of their hearts.