Punishments
“Umbrella! O my umbrella!
Where are you my Cinderella?”
He has found it, found it at last,
Which on unfolding began to cast
Angry looks at him
Throwing down flurried moths full of vim!
He felt bad and gave a yelp
But still he needed her help.
To go and see in the clinic
His dear friend who’s sick.
On the way his hood
Looked blue in a melting mood
And with her tears soon drenched him.
He looked up black and dim
And saw her hundred odd eyes
That looked down on him with sighs.
He swayed her this way and that way
And indulged in a selfish play.
But, oh! Did she not like it?
Behold! Hey, hey! Stop, O wait!
She made off, paying no heed,
Up and up, whirling at a faster speed!
He chased, much against his habit,
Like a dog after a flying rabbit,
Hands stretched out in the air
Towards his beloved in despair,
Trotting, running without stopping,
Often leaping and hopping!
There! Was she diving? He dashed
...
Looking up he curvetted and alas, crashed
Against a fence, barbed-wired,
But tottered to his feet suddenly though tired!
She was still floating,
Moving away with the wind, gloating!
But then gracefully glided down
Like a parachute and adorned the crown
Of a tall, far away tree -
And all his hopes began to flee!
He stared at her with hands on his hips.
“Let things slide,” murmured his lips.
Gasping, he shambled to a nearby tree.
Feeling sorry for letting her free,
Sat down scraping the mud
Off his body and started to chew the cud:
She was worth keeping all his life,
A present from his dear wife
Who for thirty years and part
Shared his life heart to heart
And left him to sleep forever at ease.
He could not her life then seize
And how could he her gift now save?
How many blunders? He began to rave!
“Care killed the cat,” goes the word.
A piece of carelessness - this episode!
Gone! Gone for good a memento,
Leaving as a good memo this torment, oh!
The down-pouring decreased to drizzling
But the wind was still whistling.
“Why should there this rain be?
Am I making another mistake? O me!
Pardon, Good Lord, for cursing the rain
Sent by you. You have heard our complain
And blessed us with plentiful rain this day
And driven the killer drought away!”
Thus his inner forces wrought;
And there flashed another thought
Of his pal - whether to proceed
Or to return - and he felt released
When he made up his mind to see his friend
Who to honest ways himself does lend.
But his body was cold and shivering
And someone in his head hammering!
Yet, easing his stiff-limbs he tried:
Stood up, looked round as he sighed
And to the road shuffled across the heath
Lurching, limping, clenching his teeth.
On the way a familiar voice greeted.
Who could it be? He was fascinated.
“Hey, chum! Where to ...?”
“Is it you ...? I’m coming to see you.”
“I was discharged a little while ago.
I’m well now. Come, let’s go.
But what’s this ... blood ... shirt torn?”
“I slipped and maybe on a bladed stone
Fell down near that fence, over there, can
you see?”
Thus he unfolded his unfortunate story.
But his friend waited not
To hear the whole lot.
“Let’s to the hospital,” he said
And soon the doctor assigned the old man a
bed.
