The Road to Kent

BY DEEPAK YESHWANTH

Trot trot the horses went,
down to a place called Kent.
‘Twas a cold winter’s day at dawn,
She sat lonely and forlorn;
The carriage moved swiftly towards Kent,
Trot trot the horses went.

Just around a bend in the road,
stood a shepherd with his goad.
She saw that he had a leg missing,
Pity! Her heart beat took a missing,
Seeing at the bend in the road,
the one legged with his goad.

She tossed a coin at the urchin.
It fell and he bent down searching,
He lost his balance the poor lame boy
and went crashing down like a toy.
All for the toss of a coin to the urchin
who had bent down for searchin’

Hark! The man driving had heard.
She rushed out to help the shepherd.
But so shocked was she to find,
her kindly assistance being declined.
The man driving had this heard
the refusal of help by the shepherd.

Is it madness that you possess!
cried the enraged witness
A lady’s help you refuse so eager
then why pick the coin you beggar?
Is it madness you possess?
roared the enraged witness.

Be not harsh! said the lady fair,
Come hither boy! It is so rare!
To want a coin but not my help,
It does no good to yourself.
Tell me why? asked the lady fair,
Coins but not my help! ‘Tis so rare.

My Lady, said the poor shepherd boy,
Lady, Money makes life so cloy.
I bent down to pick your lost penny,
Never thought it be charity money.
My Lady, said the simple boy,
Money makes life so cloy.

I refused your help to be stood on ground,
For it is like being lost and only once found;
For once fallen and taken help
Would practise me every fall to cry and yelp;
I refused your assist to be stood on ground,
For it is like being lost and only once found.

If I get money and assistance today,
What will the morrow have to say?
One needs to learn to fend for oneself,
I vowed never to habit to pity myself;
If I get money and assistance today,
What will the morrow have to say?

Saying so the shepherd walked away,
tending his flock on its way.
The lady and her driver stood astound;
Shamed were they at the ken newfound.
Watching the shepherd walk away,
tending his flock on its way.

She went into her cushions again,
Thinking of the boy’s boon and bane.
Man is not what he has but what he is;
This my mind should never miss
sitting amidst her cushions again,
she mused about the boon and bane.

Trot trot the horses went,
on their way to Kent.
‘Cried I have at such things small
but I have been blessed all along’
Trot trot the horses went,
with the wise lady on her way to Kent.
 

Review or comment on The Road to Kent

Reviews:

Good work done…..                                                                    Ann 10/10/07

Old world charm! I like it… โ€œwith the wise lady on her way to Kentโ€  ๐Ÿ™‚

Manjax   10/10/07

Nice one ๐Ÿ™‚                                                                       Sebastian  10/10/07

Simple message but expressed brilliantly. Lovely use of words.                                                                                                                     Shatarupa  10/10/07

Awesome… really good…keep it up… waiting for more poems. But did you experience/witness the incident or went across same type of emotions ever? Itโ€™s really nice.                                                                                                                                                                                             Puspita  10/10/07

I think it was really great and what language do you speak?                                                                                                                              Shyam  9/26/08

Reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe, my fav poet ๐Ÿ™‚             –  Patrick Mahoney  1/19/10

Other poems by Deepak Yeshwanth:

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