A YELLOWED LETTER

A YELLOWED LETTER


For full twenty five years we
Lived as husband and wife,
But our days were never free
From common spousal strife.

Superficially I lived,
You said, in my own home,
As, without knowing sea depth,
On surface stays the foam.

You gone, one day I found a
Letter yellowed by age,
Left in your drawer, as per
Your mysterious ways.

Surprisingly, the letter
Quite ominously said:
“You would miss me only when,
I live no more, I’m dead”.

It’s a pity you always
Felt that you were ignored.
But this lack of attention,
You patiently endured.

You suffered so silently
And did not speak a word,
Hoping that one day I would
Look at myself inward.

Alas, that day never came
And you waited in vain.
But the thought that you wrote down
Must have been your refrain.

It’s only now that I have
Reflected on myself.
I wish you placed the letter
Directly on my shelf!


* Written in abcb, 7-6-7-6 format.

M C Gupta
29 November 2008