Glory Sasikala writes

A CURIOUS PARADOX

In my heart,

At the bottom of my heart,

I buried the seeds of pain.

Tears of hurt, whence rude retort

Shall never bother me again.

And over them sowed

Within my heart

The seeds of love and joy

And He his skill, and He his art

Did most happily here employ.

And they into blossoms

Within my heart

Grow so beautiful and so lush

And people did gaze and eyes did dart

And made them tremble and blush.

And the goats gazed

Within my heart

At the blossoms so gay and so lush,

And voiced desire to tear apart

And the flowers underfoot to crush.

They said the flowers

Within my heart

Were too perfect to be true.

What, so much joy, like a witch’s cast

And no regret and no rue?

The goats gazed

Within my heart

At the blossoms so gay and so lush

And quenched the desire to tear apart

And the flowers underfoot to crush.

The rains fell

Within my heart

And hard they fell and true.

Oh! What are these plants, so grey and so dark?

They’re plants of regret and rue!

The people gaze

Within my heart

And turn their gaze away.

The goats gaze

Within my heart

At the ugly sad array.

The goats gaze

Within my heart

At the ugly sad array

And say, “How sad this once happy heart,

Now so full of dismay!”

Goat -- Arthur Dove