Against The Grain

My background with an imaginative conclusion

Against the grain


During the dawn of my being,
As my heart was yet developing,
I became bothered by the breath of life, my heart began to ache,
And when the pain surged so, my fragile heart started to break.

I was an alien under my own roof;
The man who fathered me turned into a wolf.
Under every crescent moon, he'd batter my mum.
On our account, she endured, but her love for him grew numb.

I was deprived of the joys of young life,
I spent my leisure time in tears, feeding on strife.
I was lost, literally forfeited my head,
Decapitated- I lived because I wasn't dead.

Friends I had not, I lived my life alone,
My life did not have room even for a single companion.
Everyone saw pride and happiness in me,
But nobody dared the agony in my soul to see.

To school I went, seeking solace,
From my broken home, my parents' disgrace.
But the days always died, and night always fell,
Darkening my faint prospect, turning my life into a living hell.

My schoolmates label me 'solo',
Without finding out why I was ever so low.
My teachers knew that something was wrong,
But to set it right, to them, it did not belong.

Many a time, I'd wish to sleep eternally,
But I'd always view the sunrise hopefully.
Faithfully hoping that someday,
My torment and sorrow will melt away.

My fears surged and ate me up constantly
When my parents parted permanently. Mum remained composed at the closure of each door,
And struggled to keep our home's ceiling from touching the floor.

I was turned into a man before my youth's sunset,
Expected to lead my house prior to my due date.
My mother and two sisters became my responsibility,
The only souls that eased my wicked reality.

But I learnt to deal with life as a man;
To face the world, from fear, never to run.
To take a challenge, to suffer a while,
And to look into the eyes of dispair with a smile.

I worked hard, to life I held fast,
And lived each moment, like my last.
I devoted my life to my sisters and mother,
Because in this crazy up-side-downworld, we only had each other.

Anger and fear kept me in motion,
But discipline stirred me in the right direction.
I went to school, certain it was my only chance,
To aid myself and my family advance.

I emerged a victor over school,
Conqured my grades and became successful.
At last, I lived my dream, empowered my family,
At last, we lived together happily.

Certificates on the walls, masters in my hand,
I was now strong enough on my two feet to stand.
I had most of what I wanted, but not everything,
A helper I needed to find, my rib was still missing.


I went to Australia for more school and a furnished life,
To sharpen my calibre and seek a wife.
I found a mirror; a girl, tormented by life but ne'er mean,
A product of circumstance, a survivor of thick and thin.

Jane lived her life with her father only,
A friendly man, yet habitually lonely.
His wife departed some years back,
But he remained single, he deemed himself out of luck.

However, as I got to his country, he left for mine,
I hoped that he'd find Zambia acceptably fine.
Little did I know that he'd find it a whole lot better,
More fascinating, a lot sweeter.

'When do I meet my father by the way?'
I'd ask Jane everyday.
'When he's back from Zambia,' she'd say.
'He went on business. It can be any day.'

My father-in-law found a woman in that foreign state.
And thought to settle down before it was too late.
Two years after I left home, mum asked me to swear-
To attend her wedding, I vowed to be there.

At the same time, my girl received a calling,
Her father summoned her to his wedding.
In four months, she'd have a mother.
But mum said, 'In that time, I'd have a father!'

We did not want to let the cat out the basket,
Untill we got to Zambia, our wedding was to be a secret.
For good reason, we wanted to suprise our parents,
To review the news on each's wedding as presents.

Mum's wedding was in ninety days,
I had to fulfil my promise as always.
Jane and I had to fly to the motherland,
So we could witness the parents' weddings first hand.

Our flight was delayed, we got out of the plane in a hurry,
One's parent was going to get married, the other's to marry.
We were too blind to see the pain life brought our way,
Coincidently, our parents were marrying on the same day.

We were soon hit by a disheartening reality;
Letting lose my mother's hand, her father ran to her an my mother came to hug me.
We were all shocked, how could it be?
My sister-to- be will be marrying me?

The one girl I so loved, why her?
Why should she be my father's daughter?
What happens to our harvested love?
The deep passion, the feelings we'll always have?

This pathetic luck is over my brain,
My love for Jane is against the grain.
Why don't we just marry and run away,
So our parents don't see us suffer everyday?

Keep Smiling

Reviews

[Kimberly "Melody" Carne..]

A most wonderful write!

[Alexander143]

To Bridget Murphy.

Thank you

What's left to say-
When even the finest of expressions is already on display?
I'm stuck between to repeat and to let the moment fade away-
As every other word sounds cliche.
26 letters isn't about enough for me to relay-
The pride you've bestowed on my soul today.
But in the end, I have to say it anyway.
Thanks a lot. I wish I could say it in a different way.

Keep Smiling

[Bridget Murphy]

Wow, what a magnificent piece! Though there were many spectacular lines to choose from, my favorite had to be: Decapitated - I lived because I was not dead.
I loved this poem!! I can not wait to read more!
~BM

[Alexander143]

To Bridget Murphy.

Thank you

What's left to say-
When even the finest of
expressions is already on display?
I'm stuck between to repeat and
to let the moment fade away-
As every other word sounds
cliche.
26 letters isn't about enough for
me to relay-
The pride you've bestowed on
my soul today.
But in the end, I have to say it
anyway.
Thanks a lot. I wish I could say it
in a different way.

Keep Smiling