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V. Ananya

Romance Tragedy

4  

V. Ananya

Romance Tragedy

What He Left Behind

What He Left Behind

3 mins
407


A new war broke out,

A world threatened to be made,

New destruction to end the known world,

And create another anew.


This threat meant only one thing:

A war, a fight of good against evil –

Kings of the realms sent out demands,

Demands of young fighters to support him in war.


A few months ago, I would’ve happily gone,

For it’s an honour worthy of acquiring,

An honour that all the known world would worship you for –

To die in war was an honour beyond imagination.


But now, I have a lass to care for,

Delicate, sensitive, prone to illness;

I’ve been caring for her for a time now,

But now, the call for war is nigh to come,

And I do not want to leave her high and dry;

I want to marry her and leave her

The wife of a soldier gone by,

So she’d have all the love and support she’d need

’Til the end of her life.


My end is uncertain – I’d like to die in her arms,

What the war does is predictable, yet not—

It destroys not just cities, but the minds of the people—

An affliction I’d care not much for,

If not for the love of my dear lass.


A new war broke out,

A world threatened to be made,

New destruction to end the known world,

And create another anew –

And who’s to know if this new world would be any friendlier,

Would my lass be cared for?

“Oh, Lilly, come to me,

Take me in your arms, I’d like to die with thee.


“Alas, is your time already come?

Come one, come all, let’s have a celebration,

For it’s now that I go down on my knee in front of my loved one,

Declare my love and ask her to be my wife.”


I suck in a breath as I wait…

Wait, wait, wait…

Wait, wait, wa –


Ah, she’s opened her mouth, here comes the pronouncement:


“Ah my man, my time is right around the corner,

I shan’t live long, perhaps the next day or the next week,

You shall be going to war and gaining your honour,

Leaving me to wait for your return, so I can see your precious face.


“Alas, that is not to be, the stars say.

Do you know what they say?

They say, ‘Lilly, Lilly, he’s the man for thee,

Marry him before he leaves and you come to me!’

Yes, that’s what the stars said to me –

And what do I do?


I see you on your knees now,

Happiness fills my heart, as much as it aches –

And yet, I say yes, I will marry thee,

Stay with you, live with you,

Eat with you, dance with you,

As long as I’m able, as long as you’re here,

Then, when we separate, we shall make a promise,

To meet once again on the other side of the planet.”


Oh, the longest speech from my lass,

So determined like never before,

Coming of Death does wonders, eh?


I say, “Thanks, Lilly, I accept your terms:

We’ll marry now and live as long as we can –

And then, when we separate,

We’ll meet on the other side of the planet.”


With such a vow we wed,

Down the aisle, we walked with much excitement,

A happy life we led—

Plenty of food, adventure, talks, and sex –

Until one day, they all had to stop,

For the summons of the war had come.


I said to my lass, “Alas, my Lilly, I have to be on my way now;

I promise, however, that you shan’t be forgotten—

Always in my heart, always my reason to fight,

But when the war is over, we’ll meet on the other side.”


Lilly could only nod, I could feel her tears ready;

Unable to bear her pain, I give her a tight hug,

Before I turn around,

And tell myself sternly, ‘Never turn back’;

For if I did, I knew I would break apart,

Breaking my solemn promise to our king.


So, with a steel heart,

Knowing what a gem I’m leaving behind,

I go to war, fight with honour,

Come back with a bandaged arm and leg.


Alas, Lilly is no more—

She’s passed on, her carer said;

No will, no child, nothing left—

I go to her grave in the woods and lie,

Waiting, waiting, waiting…

Until something eats me alive.



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