The Rheumy Eyes

a poem by Ayona Sur

This balled of a nymph,
Who paid the price for vanity and thwart
Came when the judgment day,
Trembled against the creator’s wrath.

Immobile became the gods
Seeing her splendid face
And statuary became the creations,
Witnessing her statuesque grace.

She thought she was the only
Lord’s display of artistic splendour,
And no one till timeless eternity
Will step on earth to match her grandeur.

But behind those big hazel eyes,
She was all cruel and vile
Non like her was known in heaven,
Neither on earth for thousands of mile.

She hated the ugly
And loathed their very face,
To live on the same land as she,
Considered her charms disgrace.

She had a dangerous secret,
A secret that she hid forever
That she was formed immortal,
Die will she solemnly never.

She considered the other maidens
Inferior to be her mate,
Stunning she was yes,
But devoid of love in her fate.

Haughtily she told a damsel once-

Don’t dare call thine pretty,
That word’s not for thou,
On this planet only I have the gaiety
And no one in my tow.

Thine beauty is only time’s play
And in a sweep of tide it will vanish,
Then you’ll mourn on that day
When mine will cease to diminish.

Then lifting her hands towards the sky,
As if challenging her mentor,
Declared she was the loveliest of all,
More dazzling than her own creator.

Then one day, from a land faraway,
Arrived a handsome king,
Who was traveling far and wide,
For a lovely bride to bring.

So she ordered her admirers,
To poison the river
In which the maidens bath,
So caught the kingdom a fatal fever
And she smiled at her malicious thwart!

The moment the king saw her when,
He was truly mesmerized,
He married her only then and there,
As if totally hypnotized.

On the auspicious wedding night,
No one knew of the hushed conspiracy,
Since at dawn the people forlorn,
Saw their king struck with palsy.

No one appeared on her coronation,
And now she was heir to the throne,
Hue and cry struck the kingdom,
For she was the most tyrant ruler known.

On her royal orders,
The ugly where beheaded and
The attractive were made her slaves
Unknown the sins she created
Unknown she dug her own grave.

Then came the judgment day,
To free the people from her terrible fray,
As a blinding dazzle, outside her castle,
Made her come out, to witness the hassle.

Then said an unearthly sonoration-
You caused suffering to my creation,
You are such a virago,
And you’ll suffer forever in limbo.

Now you’ll wait for death, in such a state
Which no longer will you dote,
B’coz in time you’ll find
Thyself uglier than the behemoth.

Due to thine barbarism
My birds no longer sing,
Wasn’t it you, you vain creature
Who killed the gracious king?

No use writhering like that,
For I have no pity in those tears,
Lest should I create another like you,
Is what my eternal fears.

Henceforth unheard will go thy cries,
And no longer will you descend the throne,
Hearing this curse on you, oh rheumy eyes,
No mankind on this land shall mourn!