Hidden Human Nature ..

The good news is that my reports came back negative for cancer. Whew!!!! My son has been a wonderful support all through my terrible scary journey of going through the treatment and wait for the reports. My daughter was worried and needed him by her side. The surgery has taken its toll and I am still unable to spend more time typing my blogs, so I am sharing something which I had posted earlier.

I know it is such a torture to read lengthy poetry work, but this is something very close to my heart, and today I feel like sharing it with you people once again. I usually write something very short but one day this just came out of blue when I heard my brother-in-law was getting remarried after he lost my sister to breast cancer.

I asked myself the questions,

Is all the love and care people show for us true?

How would people react to death if no one was looking over?

How long do we pine for those we know are never going to come back?

There were hoards of questions flooding through my mind and as an answer I went on scribbling something on the notebook I had in my hands. When I read it, I was shocked to see I had come out with a story poem which touched my heart…

Hidden Human Nature

Once upon a time, there lived a kind and just king

Everyone loved him; his praise they would sing

With his two sons and his beautiful wife

He was very happy and content with life

One morning, while riding his horse, a tragedy struck

He fell from his horse and was dead by sheer bad luck

The angels took away his soul as written in the record

To decide about his future they presented him before the Lord

With one glance at his pure heart the Almighty could tell

He belonged to the heaven and not to the hell

Yet drops and drops of tears rolled down from the king's eyes

God realized though good, the king was not wise

"My son, you weep because, you are not smart

Don't weep, very unreliable is human heart

Try to forget the past days, try to push the memories away

In this heaven where you don't die, you can forever happily stay"

Slowly the king whispered "I know my Lord, what I lack.

Where I am loved by everyone; there, I want to go back

My brave commander, wisest of all men my minister

They are all dutiful; nothing in my life is sinister

Everyone loves me dearly. In turn I love them all

My sons are obedient and are always at my beck and call

My queens fidelity my Lord, could surpass that of Penelope

More happiness than this to find, I can never even hope

I need no heaven now or anytime hereafter

Happy I am in my kingdom, whatever is the matter

‘O' Father, send me there where everyone loves me

If not, I assure you broken my heart would be"

God did not wish to break his heart, for good hearts are rare

Yet by his own rules he couldn't send him back there

Said God, "Once dead no one can go back dear son,

Yet I will send you back, though now you can't be seen or heard by anyone

Because you will receive your body only after three days

Till then you will be hiding and watching how everyone behaves

But if you fill find out sadly that people are selfish

You can come back to me anytime with your mere wish."

Two angels brought back to earth the now smiling King

There he had to watch, over his funeral his dear ones mourning

"Don't weep darlings," he said "this death is just illusion

Wait for just three days and there will be no more confusion"

No one could hear nor see their beloved King

They sobbed bitterly over the most tragic happening

Each and everyone was only talking about the King's death

They hated to be alive and cursed their every breath

One look at their face and even the silliest could tell

Since morning no one had gulped even a single morsel

The King's heart was touched deeply seeing all the love

He strongly decided once again, I will not go to heaven above

Thinking of his friendly minister the King came to where he lived

The ghastly sight that met his eyes had to be seen to be believed

His dear friend held tightly in his hand a very sharp knife

His bodyguards were putting in every effort to save his life

"Don't kill yourself," cried the King "O my dearest friend.

This is just a passing phase, believe me this is not the end."

The minister who was exhausted just slumped down

His children wept and his wife sat there fanning him with tip of her gown

‘What is my commander doing?' questioned the King in wonder

When he found sobbing and weeping his brave strong commander

Pointing towards sky the brave one let out a loud cry

"If you had to take a life our King's life ..... WHY?

In his place could you not push me into the grave?"

He banged his head and wept. He was no more ‘The Brave’.

The King's burning soul now cried for some solace

So he decided it was time to visit his palace

All the servants there stood still, all of them were silent

Not a sound could be heard, save a sigh and a lament

His two children were crying in the their own chambers

All consoling and cajoling only fuelled the embers

As tears trickled down they did not bother to wipe it either

Just under their breath they whispered, "Father! Dear father!"

It was too much for the King to suffer without being heard or seen

He wanted to find some consolation in his dear beloved queen

He found her laying still and shocked, on the cozy bed

Two faithful maidens stood wiping tears from the eyes ruby red

Looking at his queen's state the King bitterly cried

"Why are your luscious lips now parched and dried?

O dear! My beloved, like dead why do you sleep?

Why is your perfect hair disheveled and why your breaths so deep?

O my dearest, I am here. Only I cannot be seen."

He tried to talk but failed to console his beloved queen.

Suddenly the queen moved and she got up with a start

And let out a heart rending cry clasping her heart

"My beloved! MY love! My King! Where are you?

They say you are dead. How can this be true?

Life without you is worse than death, how can I bear this pain!"

Uttering those words she wept bitterly and fainted again.

Her maids discussed that it was the routine since morning

Anxiety rose in them and soon the doctor was called in

Absent minded the doctor gave some medicine which would help

The doctor like usual was not his jovial self

The King never had known, his queen loved him so much

He caressed her head though she did not feel his touch

Unable to move from her side he sat beside her on the bed

Cruel it was he couldn't console anyone by showing he was not dead

After a long time the queen slowly started stirring

"I want to be alone with the memories and thoughts of my King".

Saying so she sent away the maids and closed the door

Then she sat, biting her lips and her toe scratching the floor

The King feared there may be some danger to his beloved wife

He thought she was planning of putting an end to her worthless life

No one was around in the room or anywhere nearby on the cold, silent and dark night

When suddenly through the secret door of the chamber there arrived a light

Holding lamp in its hands slowly and steadily a shadow rocked

Peering at it the King saw his minister and he was totally shocked

‘What is he doing here?' thought the king ‘at this time of night'

Suddenly the queen rushed past the wondering King shouting with delight

She embraced and kissed the lips of her lover her dear minister

They whispered lovingly not knowing they had a visitor

"At last after many years, now we have become free'.

The King could neither weep nor laugh at this sadistic mockery

He was aghast seeing the naked form of love and friendship

His heart was burning as though it was scorched by thorny whip

He heard the queen planning of marrying as she could not be alone

‘Soon' she said the king of her heart would sit on the throne

This infidelity, this licentious treachery, the king could bear no more

He ran towards his son's chamber with a heart bitter and sore

There he was amazed to find their tongues and swords on full swing

They were fighting to decide, who would be the future king

Their faces were fierce. Of sorrow there was now no trace

The heart broken king had an urge to get out of that horrid palace

He realized in a hard way there is no value for human relation

For his burning soul he did not know where to find some consolation

On his way out he heard some low whispering sound

He followed it and all his servants discussing he found

They were discussing on his death rites what would be their share

The king heard them and moved ahead without much care

His commander-in-chief with army officials sat around a table

And announced "As the King is dead, the government is not stable

This is the proper time for coup; soon I will grab the power

When the crown is mine, on all of you, wealth I will shower".

Thus found the king his commander and his men of troupe

Not mourning anymore but scheming and planning for a coup

The King left that place even sadder than before

He thought to himself ‘why men are so rotten to the core?'

‘Yet everything is not lost' said to himself the poor King

‘My subjects still love me, my praises they still sing'

More sorrows awaited him as he observed them one by one

True love for him he could find in the heart of none

He then saw the beloved subjects who were now muttering and grumbling

And for the trouble caused they were even cursing the King

Now inside their homes making sure no one could hear them they said

"Is it our fault? Is it our problem that the king is dead?

We had to be starved and famished since today morning

If not others would accuse us of not loving our king

Everyone losing a day’s happiness was burning in anger

In the cover of darkness they were busy killing pangs of hunger

The King saw the bitter truth. Everyone in his life was a fraud

Losing his battle in a single day he sadly returned to God

"No more my Father", said the king, "I will suffer in this turmoil,

I thank you heartily for freeing me from this terrible mortal coil

Until now I thought everyone to me were duty bound

I am amazed and sad by the truth which today I found

No one cares for others vicissitudes nor are their actions just

All men and women are busy consoling their burning lust

Children need parents when are to be cared and fed

They care not a fig for parents when they learn they are dead

Everyone there My Lord I found so greedy and selfish

I wished to go back to them? I am very foolish

What I now realize is that all the love I felt back on earth

Was just a great drama without any real worth?

The world down there is very unkind and cruel

Happy I will be in heaven or even in a Hell

But never will I go back to my kingdom again

One meeting with the naked truth has given me enough pain".

Saying thus with shame the King hung his head down

The ever smiling God looked at him with a deep frown

"I created Man with great care and perfected his every part

But somehow I feel I went wrong when creating his heart

Its feelings were so selfish I had to hide it in his chest

Of all the gifts I have given to man this is the best

I had to give them power to lie, pretend and act

To lessen their selfish hearts acidic impact

To live with naked truth Man has not enough power

So the true faces I have hid behind a pleasant cover

Yet, you hate none, dear son; you are truly brave and strong

I should be ashamed for it is my children who have done wrong".

To take the King to heaven for angels God sent call

And sat there alone wondering ‘WHY I created man after all…..'

By

Farida Rizwan