The Last Gaze At You, My Dear Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

The last gaze at you, my dear

When we first met
In the midst of relatives
Parents of both of us
Busy talking about each of us
Our strengths
And our weaknesses
And how well we would make
A great match
Each one making up the lapses
Of the other
Each one living together
In total harmony
We got married
Experienced each other’s
Greats and follies
For thirty six years
In the process me bearing
Two sons in a row
And third a daughter
How many heights we scaled
How many dips we suffered
Somehow both managing well
Each situation
Most of the time
Very close to our satisfaction
And very close to the delight of
Nears and dears
And now you lying there motionless
Waiting for the rites to be completed
So that you will finish your last journey
And get consigned to the fire
Our first son will light
I will never get a chance to see you again
The most loved person of mine
Let me recollect the full
Story of ours
Before you leave once and for all
And hence this
Last gaze at you, my dear