A Graph For Aunt Betsey Poem by Vidya Pandarinath

Aunt Betsey (R. I.P) was once neat -
And all lovely charm and form
Before she got into wedlock;
Soon all was lost in a storm
When her man took his stock
And vanished never again to meet.

There was unwilling flesh and weight
And her lovely gait, people praised,
Changed into an odd waddle;
Her lost glamour could never be traced,
Long neglected face was a raddle -
She was polite and never did slate.

She worked for him through all,
Doted and cared for his comfort;
His cruelty and all lavish deal
Never did her touch or hurt:
The blows had left many a weal;
Beside her he stood, evil and small.

Now she is gone beneath an epitaph;
Beauty may be marked on either side
Of cipher: all charm and amorous nodes
Dotted against each of the axes glide -
Me an and base gestures of all modes
Stipple a sullen concurrent linear love- graph!