Two In A Tower Poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar

Viviette, Lady Constantine, tender
Even at her thirty, was a splendour.
Her husband had no time to engage her
As with other women he was merrier.

The tender vine lady, stake less, wandered
And, on a lad in a tower, stumbled.
She endeared the lad to explore her
While he was there to explore stars elsewhere.

Her age and dignity held Swithin.
His age and purity held Viviette.
Death of her husband rescued her from guilt;
Warmth of her lover was free to travel.

The Bishop, a widower, was enchanted
With the company of Lady Constantine,
And was desperate to secure her hand,
Her young widowhood taken for granted.

Viviette had loved Swithin for her shake
And more for his shake; she subjected her
.Self-love to his benevolence, and made
Her motherly love shade her sexual love.
.
She coerced him to set out for his future
And forced herself to desert his gesture.
She made herself marry the widower
To be father for her expecting child.

Viviette again became a widow
And for Swithis’ return, she stood in glow.
The joy of reunion took her life;
The child got him, the bona fide father.

Her first husband deserted her
Her lover could not marry her.
Her second one is not her choice.
She thanked her lover with a child.

“‘tis in the mercy of her eye
If poor love shall live or die;
A silver line is her child,
In her life, full of cloud.”
29.08.2000, Pmdi
[ a novel by Thomas Hardy]