A Tale of Two BrothersA Story by emipoemiTwo stately brothers, side by side, Walked through the woods along their course. The first told truths with grace and pride, The other lied with no remorse. One letter formed their given names, But nothing marred their dignity. The elder, E, held truths his aims, The liar, V, held villainy. They walked along the woodland path, As was their custom ev’ry morn. Though opposites, they bore no wrath To fight or one another scorn. In silence walked they further down, As though their mouths were sealed by corks. And further straying from their town, At last they came to Meisner’s Fork. A fork so named, for in the past Old Jered Meisner made a trek That in the end became his last, Since he was by its end a wreck. In his old age- as in his prime- He was a trekker of great fame. And, trekking through the woods one time, He to the noted fork soon came. Awe in an instant lit his face, As ev’ry wonder drew him in. For he knew well it was a place To which he ne’er before had been. A horned owl cried up in a tree, And Jered Meisner turned around To hear it say: ‘Haree! Haree! I call to thee, man on the ground. Thou mayest think this place divine, Thou mayest think ’twill never cease, But ’twill degrade and lose its shine Should any but disturb its peace.’ That tale had such a muddled end That all were stumped about the trek, For none could clearly comprehend How Meisner came to be a wreck. Yet when he died, when they deemed fit The people to the fork would head To honour Meisner for a bit, And heed the words the owl had said. ’Twas why the brothers made their way Each morning to the honoured fork. Now, having come to it that day, The elder, E, spat out his cork: ‘Ah, V, dear brother, look around, And see the wonders shining bright For us, as we had trod much ground To get to see this wondrous sight.’ ‘Ah, yes indeed, the sun doth shine,’ The other said, and rolled his eyes, ‘And maketh all of this divine, As anyone can realize. A thousand times I’ve heard from thee How fair and peaceful all this lies.’ And then V turned his back to E, Who stood there blinking in surprise. ‘How comes it, now, that thou art sour?’ He asked, and grasped his brother’s arm, ‘Thou wast so cheerful by the hour. What change hath charged thee with its charm?’ ‘None. Thou art seeing day by day, Thy selfsame brother showing up. This sour demeanour I display Is but a part of growing up.’ How comes it, then, that I’m not so?’ Asked E as V shook off his hand, ‘I see not how it fits the flow That we all know and understand. For what thou hast proclaimed hath not The confirmation truths supply. ’Tis such a strange and senseless thought. Do I perchance detect a lie?’ ‘Nay, all I have proclaimed is true" This sour existence be the fate Of each of those among the few Who walk about with signs of hate.’ Then E looked V straight in the eyes To see if he could spot a sign Of any twinkle shouting ‘Lies!’ To show that V had crossed the line. For E knew V would always tell What would contain a far-fetched theme. He knew that spiteful twinkle well, For often had he seen it gleam. ‘Thou liest thou most fiendish brute! If only I could cut thy tongue" That sordid, most disgusting root Where ev’ry lie hath bravely sung. For all our sakes for once be good, And free thy virtue from its cell. Remove that sordid somber hood Where lies absorb thee in their spell.’ ‘Thou simpleminded, spazzing twit,’ Scoffed V, and gave a wicked grin, ‘’Tis hard for thee to take the hit That ’tis my destiny to win. For know I shall be growing tall, And shall erelong look down at thee. ’Tis I the wiser! I know all! And thus ’tis I the elder be.’ ‘Thou liest more, thou wretched fool, For I still have four years on thee. Cease choosing me to ridicule, For I the elder, wiser be.’ Shout, Esau! Ram thy rage at me! Say, Esau is in ev’ry way A most befitting name for thee" ’Twould have been mad had I been J! For mark why I have spoken so,’ Continued V conceitedly, ‘For now ’tis time for thee to know That mother always favoured me.’ And thus their argument had sprung Like embers bursting into flame, With E who sought his brother’s tongue And V who sought his manhood fame. This was the only time they fought, And neither knew the reason why It had to happen on this spot With V’s most cruel and vicious lie. But, all the same, their fight progressed, And many would have thought it dull To watch E try his utmost best To get his words past V’s thick skull. But while they quarreled, sneered, and leered, And while they had their raging fits, Their reasons shattered, disappeared, And they became their opposites. By then a man came from his path, And looked around as though astray. He saw the brothers burst with wrath, And, drawing near them, made to say: ‘Pray, gentlemen upon these paths, I for some aid appeal to ye. For but one moment hold thy wraths, And say which way Olerno be.’ ‘Right!’ cried E though nearly hoarse, ‘Left!’ cried V insistently. ‘Right!’ cried E with greater force, ‘Left!’ cried V persistently. With both hands raised and shaking knees, The man said he would take the right, And once he vanished through the trees, The brothers recommenced their fight. Two hours elapsed in this debate, Then back-to-back the brothers stood, Too vexed to even separate; Too vexed to even leave the wood. But, O, the horror! Now ’twould cease! Each glimmer now would slowly fade. The brothers had disturbed the peace, And thus the fork would now degrade. The wind soon heaved its final sighs, The sun’s bright rays began to fade. The leaves dried up, yet kept their ties On all the trees that now decayed. They then remembered ev’ry word That owl’s foreboding warning said. They cursed old Meisner, fork, and bird, Then merely cursed themselves instead. For days, as though their mouths bore corks, In silence cursed they in their wrath. For centuries they manned the fork, And helped the lost regain their path. But neither E nor V would speak Unless a person gone astray Would ask them of the town they seek, And if by chance they know the way. Yet just one question could one pose, For no one knows, nor can surmise Which of the two would truths compose And which would always tell the lies. The brothers with their hearts so bleak Would evermore in silence stay, And only would they ever speak If asked: ‘What would thy brother say?’ Then they would speak without a fit, And clearly give their answers, though Whate’er they say is opposite To where the lost ones need to go. So shall the people always know That, ere they wander out of sight, If both say right, they left should go, If both say left, they should go right. So ends the tale about this fight, Which left the brothers still and stiff. (As for that man who had gone right, Poor soul went tumbling down a cliff). -EDP © 2019 emipoemiReviews
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