mourning wife

a man died yesterday
he left behind many grieving loved ones
and a mourning wife, who
really didn’t love him
at all
she had loved him
when he was a husband
loving and caring for her,
sharing her smiles and frowns,
listening to her inconsequential
and yet substantial
little whines – about
vegetables, milk, neighbourhood housewives
mother-in-law and television
one day he returned home
late
drunk
exhausted
and with a lipstick mark
smouldering like a embryonic ember
on the right shoulder of his pin-striped shirt
he begged, when she demanded an explanation,
seeked her forgiveness; and
was granted one; and all seemed well once again
till the embers returned sometime later
this time in the form of a few strands of hair
which definitely didn’t belong to her, or him
there were tears, there were wars
there were a few tacit scratched
on her tormented mind; and
on his bruised back
but a truce was called for and
dust settled on the rusting coupling
but not for long…
…till in the end it didn’t matter at all
apologies evaporated
together with feelings
and what remained was just
a mere arrangement…for the sake of children
and society
the fury, masked by her face – smile-less and blank –
roared in her heart with each evidence of misadventures
then he died – not an easy and immediate death -
sliced by a psychopath’s sharp knife
not once but a few times, till a criss-cross of negation
was marked all over his philandering body
the device of his sins
was chopped off and left to decay by his side
together with his tongue – which MUST have uttered
endearments not meant for her
his eyes – admiring eyes that pried on beautiful surfaces –
were scooped out without finesse
his fingers were chopped too
leaving behind ugly blunt stumps on his hands
which deviated and caressed the wrong curves
but he was left breathing,
bearing witness to his own crimes
he wanted to die – yes, he told her so himself many times while he survived –
but someone called for an ambulance
and rushed him to hospital
where they revived him
and helped him live a life less ordinary
than before.
he lived – like a dead animal – for a few weeks
agonizing, painful weeks those –
and in between the apologies returned –
this time from his heart
but she didn’t once say that she had forgiven her
though he begged her, beseeched her
with his horrible, faceless face and useless body
even till a moment before he –
crouched in pain and shrouded in utter darkness
- finally died yesterday
people wonder, will wonder for a long time,
who could have done a deed so heinous
for such a wonderful man.
only his mourning wife could tell…