Eel

Written for Round 10 of the Slam (Item ID:554585)

(The PROMPT is to write a poem which is an EXTENDED METAPHOR for something that you know or would like to write on.)

Eel

Beatrice, the light of my life,
Evades my presence easily;

I await her at the bus stand -
But she quietly takes the cab;

I sit pretty at a sidewalk cafe,
While she has a tiffin-lunch in her office;

I stroll outside the jeweller's shop to buy her a necklace,
While she browses at the local flea-market for beads;

I compose a letter and await her reply,
While she has already left town and gone for a trip;

I bring forth thoughts of her exquisite figure,
While she has put on weight, eating cakes and buns;

I ask for her hand in marriage,
But her ring-finger already bears a diamond;

I live and breathe hoping she'll be mine -
She, heartless and slippery, just smiles languidly at me.

© Dr. Taher Kagalwala, 2004