Vincent Van Gogh 9 - Ursula's Refusal Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

All along, Vincent was under the impression
That Ursula liked him as much as he liked her.
They spent so much of time together
Talking, laughing, gardening, with gestures
And glances that indicated a strong attraction
Between the two. Vincent even assumed
That she would accept him as her husband,
When he proposed to her. He imagined sitting
Opposite to Ursula every morning, eating his breakfast
Looking at her pretty face with much relish and joy.

But all his plans and dreams came crashing down,
The moment he heard that she was already engaged.
He begged her to marry him and forget the other man.
But she was repulsed, ran out of his grasp and the room
Calling him a ‘Red headed fool' that struck him like a lightning.
The next day, there was no wake-up call or breakfast served
By Ursula. She avoided and stopped engaging with him totally.
He walked down to his office in Goupils, as if in a bad dream.
The laburnum blooms that shone brightly seemed lack lustre,
While the chestnut trees that lined the road seemed dull and dreary.

At Goupils, he lost his enthusiasm to sell any product,
Or making money or profit for the company.
He showed no politeness to the customers
Nor any patience with the people who came to buy.
Earlier, Vincent was courteous with his fellow clerks.
Anyway, they did not think much of Vincent's manners
Though they knew that Vincent belonged to the illustrious
Van Gogh family. His Uncle, also Vincent Van Gogh was
A partner of the Goupils, with galleries in London, Paris,
Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam and The Hague.

But nothing mattered to Vincent now!
He became unfriendly with the store members,
And often, behaved rudely with his customers.
The only thought that occupied his mind was
How he would woo Ursula back and marry her.
He was stubborn and would not take ‘no' for an answer.
The more he pursued Ursula, the more she was firm and angry.
Finally, Ursula's mother intervened and said: " My daughter's fiancé has written that he wants you out of the house. I am afraid, Monseiur Van Gogh, that it would have been better if you had never come here at all."

A Biographical Poem