He had built, for her, a country home -
for she had borne, for him, a son
and she expected compensation
for a duty so well done.
An heir for him,
a home for her -
to roam at whim
fields winds would stir
and whip her loose hair
as she ran
alone and
free
across its land.
He was not invited,
neither was the child,
she stayed out in the country
for weeks, for months a-while
and had her country clothes made
in simple, charming lace
and only a sash tied
at her shrinking waist.
She walked at sunrise through the dew,
slept under trees throughout the noon -
talked aloud to open skies
with raised up arms and closed shut eyes.
She kept a simple diet too,
the household servants - old and few,
her sleep was sound
and undisturbed -
this country home,
this world of hers.
It might have seemed, then, always that her life
should be this way,
but the child grew sick,
so weak with it
and soon he passed away.
Her husband raged with grief,
raged with resentment of her too
and came up to the country home
she'd never invited him to do.
There he would torment her,
following her through fields -
sick and pale with sadness,
screaming till she keeled
over in the sodden mud -
hands covering her ears
drenched in rain,
begging again
he left through her own tears.
That he should return back to the city
she pleaded, she implored
'Life has taken all my joy -
and so why should you keep yours!
Give to me a son again
a child that's mine alone
then, woman, and only when -
you'll have your country home!'
But could she bear anew this load?!
The burden of a child...
and wait,
sick and tired, as it grew
weighing her down from the inside.
Labouring her flighty steps,
labouring her light, short breaths
- perspiring her in the sun,
being watched closely by everyone!
'No!' she cried -
'No, I cannot! You had your heir,
yours to protect -
but negligent, and now he's gone
I did it once, I can't forget!
It stole from me all of myself,
it bled and tore me at his birth
and all for that, Sir,
negligent - to waste your gift,
accept your curse!'
She ran off far, into the fields
and stayed for hours at land's end
hoping to hear the carriage wheels
turn distantly - and only then
would she return up to the house
and lay herself down in her bed
but walking back
at sunset
she saw flames and smoke instead.
Copyright Yafeu-Khamisi Rodway-Brown