• Home

    Home


  • Articles

    Articles


  • Happenings

    Happenings


  • Eksentriks

    Eksentriks


  • Community

    Community

  • Home
  • Asian Arts Magazine  ▾
    • Arts
    • Culture
    • Films
    • Literature
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Photography
    • Poems
    • Stories
  • Artist Registry
  • Arts Community
  • Happenings

  • Log In
  • Submit Stories & Poems
  • List Your Events
  • Get Featured
  • Donate

  • What Is Eksentrika?
  • Get In Touch With Us
  • FAQ
  • Join Our Monthly Newsletter
  • Eksentrika Facebook
  • Eksentrika Instagram
  • Eksentrika Twitter
  • Eksentrika Linkedin
  • Eksentrika Telegram
  • Home
  • Get Featured
  • Asian Arts Magazine
  • Artist Registry
Arts & Culture Malaysia | Eksentrika
Eksentrika Login
SHORT STORY | A Widow’s Song by Jayati Roy
Sukhbir Cheema

Written by Sukhbir Cheema

SHORT STORY | A Widow’s Song by Jayati Roy

Share this article via


Oh hear my song,

You mighty waves,

Do you hear my pain?

Blistered lips quivering,

The disconsolate widow sings.

 

Her voice, caressing the breeze,

She writhes,

Anguish in every vein,

Bidding him goodbye; his last goodbye,

As the seagulls coo in vain.

 

The garlands, red and yellow,

Mashed, withered and mellow,

Drifting further and further away,

On the lap of the dancing waves,

Whisking away what is left of him,

A pot bearing her husband’s ashes,

With no life within.

 

Her footprints,

Nimbly, nimbly so,

Treading on sand and a beach of stones,

Hurting her toes.

Blood oozing,

A spirit broken,

A soul dismembered.

A body hugging just flesh and bones.

 

Weeping as if from the strings of the mandolin,

Embellishing a life in grief.

The waves, breaking at her feet,

Spew no answers,

Nor retort.

To her call at the watery grave.

 

Please waves, she weeps,

His ashes you embrace,

Don’t take him away,

To some distant land,

Cushioned between us mortals and the angels.

Soon he will be forgotten,

By family and friends.

While I lament.

Alone.

 

Where are you, oh spirit of the sea?

Will he ever come back or will he become a fish?

A whale, or a creature of the sea?

Will he get entangled with dastardly seaweeds?

Or live a life of sin,

Fornicating with some voluptuous mermaids in Atlantis?

Tell me, tell me!

 

With arms outstretched,

Kneeling, she begged.

Why have you devoured him, who is a part of me?

Oh master of the seas

Can’t you see, I have his wedding ring?

Bonded we shall be in life and death,

Faithfully, I have been, his.

Bring him to me and end my misery.

 

Bells rang, as if rejoicing,

Her song reverberating,

The earth trembled

As if listening to her plea.

A good woman you have been,

Alone you shall never be.

And then the clouds,

In thunderous garb descended upon her.

The song of the widow was then heard no more.

Cover image by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash.

We Now Have A Super Cool Artist Registry

Jayati Roy

Contribute to Us

We accept short stories, poems, opinion pieces, and essays on a complimentary basis.

SUBMIT

Other Stories You May Like

SHORT STORY | Alone by Maryam Abdul Wahab

Alone by Maryam Abdul Wahab

Maryam AbdulWahab

SHORT STORY | The Year of Living Haruki-Murakamily by Connla Stokes

The Year of Living Haruki-Murakamily by Connla Stokes

Connla_Stokes

Mr. Karofsky’s Big Mistake by Lavinia Grace Sebastian

Mr. Karofsky’s Big Mistake by Lavinia Grace Sebastian

Lavinia Grace Sebastian

Eksentrika story photo scaled

December Nights by Susanna Lim

Susanna Lim

SHORT STORY Prayers From Above by Anuradha Chelliah

SHORT STORY | Prayers From Above by Anuradha Chelliah

Anuradha Chelliah

SHORT STORY A Touch of Perfection by Elly Van Dalen

A Touch of Perfection by Elly Van Dalen

Elly Van Dalen

About Eksentrika

Eksentrika is an arts community and an online Asian arts magazine with an artist registry. Join us to get inspired and find Asian artists here!

Quick Links

  • About Eksentrika
  • Contact Us
  • F.A.Q.

Join Our Newsletter

 


All Rights Reserved © 2021 Eksentrika | By eJeeban Web Design Company

  • Eksentrika Facebook
  • Eksentrika Instagram
  • Eksentrika Twitter
  • Eksentrika Linkedin
  • Eksentrika Telegram