Cold Waves Of Fate

Cold Waves Of Fate
© Surazeus
2024 11 24

Their frail boat almost tilts against the tide 
each time the monster mountain of the sky 
dares to question why they are where they are, 
as if they have ability to choose 
where they will go against the winds of fate 
when others seem to choose how we will live. 

The old woman gives apple to young girl, 
and asks if she wants to be the wife 
controlled by the man holding her with pride, 
and she beams as she explains with sweet voice 
that she chose to leave her old family farm 
and travel with him to the Promised Land. 

Tears stream down her cheeks as she smiles with joy, 
but the old woman mumbles and declares, 
I did not choose the life I had to live, 
raising seven children on the sheep farm, 
spending all day cooking and cleaning house, 
and praying I would not die from his fist. 

When I was young and eager to live well, 
strolling to the grand college by the lake 
where I was learning how to write and draw, 
the old grim shepherd snatched in his arms 
and dragged me to his cottage in the hills 
where he forced me to bear child of his greed. 

Because the shepherd forced his will on me, 
my father, honest rector of the parish, 
forced me to marry in secretive haste 
that cruel man who kidnapped me from my life, 
and so from heavenly garden of art 
I was thrust into hell of howling devils. 

Like Persephone, pretty Queen of Hades, 
dragged by the selfish monster of desire 
from flowered fields of carefree joy in life, 
I had to rule the devils in my hell 
with resentful discipline of the slave 
forced to live against her own free will. 

Last week I escaped from that cluttered house, 
after twenty years of mind-crippling fear 
slaving trapped in harsh domestic routine, 
so like you I am escaping this land 
to sail across the wild Atlantic sea 
for new paradise in the Promised Land. 

Wild gust of wind sweeping down rugged hills 
swamps their frail boat in the surging tide, 
dumping everyone in cold waves of fate, 
and though the young girl grasps her withered hand 
the old woman sinks down into dark gloom, 
then she weeps on the shore, cursing God blind.