Called. Poem by Nweke Emmanuel

PROLOGUE
Not now but then
This thing in the life of men
May be asked - why and when?
This tale of the fair widowed lady
Whom by name the young call Miss Eddy
Who wept all the tears it could cost
To save her young son who was lost
After his fate had been decided
Why - his will divided?
A tale of woe which now will relate
The very expedition of a past state
A tale of love if supposed
Which till past is still unheard
Nor in the lives of men be read
So listen and feel disposed.

PART ONE
Once upon a time - in late 80's, then
When the early Negros started to learn
There was then - a Christian town
With many pagans supported by the crown
In this town dwelt a fair widow
Whose cottage was in a small meadow
This widow has a boy
By name, I think - she calls him ‘ROY'
By God, she loved him with her life
And always pray, God sends him no strife

In this town a school for the Christian flock
With a heap of children from the Christian stock
Among these children was the widow's son
And day by day, to school he used to run
For thus, this widow taught her little boy
And gladly everyday he did it with joy
She also taught him the fear of God
And brought him up with a rod.

Then, after his primary education
He came out with much distinction
And with this distinction of great renown
He entered a seminary in an urban town
But for one thing which pricks my conscience still
So listen to this if you will
For sure he led a virgin's life
So dedicated with neither grief nor strife

Now, I turn to this widow in her cottage
Whom then, though she was advanced in age
Wept her boy's absence, sighed for him and pined
As mothers would do when so inclined
She mourned; lay wakeful, fasted and lamented
Strained by a passion that could only be contended
By him, and set the world at naught.
Her friends who knew the burden of her heart
Brought her much consolation as they might
But still she thought of him day and night.

On his education he struggled hard
And made it in all the examinations he had
So he graduated with a glorious name
That never was it heard of such fame
So the school gave him the best award
With a sendoff of great reward
This, brought the poor widow joy
And made her cherish her boy
Praying for him, he should make it in life
And be a friar without a wife.

PART TWO
After his O-Level education
He went for long vacation.
Now, not watched by his mother
He stayed awhile with another.
And in this period of time so dear
He met his fortune as clear
And never dreamt the end drew near.

He was then 19 of age
And now, not in his mother's cottage.
All this I now relate to you is true
As the sky itself is true.
Cause there, him and this lady met
Just like a mouse caught in a net
He came to love her with his life
And desired her to be his wife.

In sincerity this lady I will write of
Now, before my story runs off
She was then of age- not old
And her hair was of gold.
She was a fair young lady
Her name I now forget completely.
I know she is not of his mate
And never did they go into debate
And in turn, she showed him love
And made him not to strain his nerve.

Among this lady's batch
I think her beauty got no match
Peerless in beauty, yet untouched by pride
In all her dealings, goodness in her guide
Her heart filled with holiness
It made her love, never in distress.

And there was never another such as she
For beauty and goodness she could be.
And to say since the world began
In sincerity she had known no man.
And among other things, people made report
Of her mobility in such a sort
Some said she was smart
With a sentimental and tender heart
I think all this stated her best
For I will take a pause and have my rest
And you have yours in patience
For what I will now relate is no negligence

PART THREE
This tale I am about to end with grief
And I bet it won't soothe your relief
For at last these two lovers dwell
In peace that one cannot tell
Until this old widow heard of it
She cried for her son and could not eat
For her dream was for him to live this life
And be a friar without a wife
She so much wept and lamented
Saying she never consented
Of him having such a visit
For she had earlier dreamt of the deceit
So she called him and gave him a sit
And read him texts from Paul and John
And from many preachers who are dead and gone.

But these lovers on their side
Thought of nothing but to ride
For there is one thing that is here to say
Lovers must each be ready, to obey
The other, if they would long keep company.

So in happiness as they had planned
They prepared for a distant land
Only looking for a day's opportunity to go
To this place, I do not know.
At last the day of their departure came
For it is such a day I should exclaim
And lo! There came that day of fatal woe
For each of them were ready and decked to go
So now both were on ship and set to sea
When they had gone far for anyone to see
It came the cause of motion, cruel firmament
And hurling wind from east to occident
That this their first fierce Journey must miscarry
Because God will slay them both if they marry

And to the sea the ship fell
How and why, I do not know well
But for sure it brought these two lovers end
Who could describe the sorrow that seems to rend

And on the widow, when she heard they had gone
She stood still with looks compared to none
Long was her sobbing, bitter was her pain
And sad it was, because she wept again and again

But finally when she had passed through her woes
She then without help arose
Departed to a place she told no one
Nor had this place ever been heard from someone
And this probably brought the end of this poor old widow
Whose cottage was once in a small meadow.