SEER OF THE DEAD--award winner

SEER OF THE DEAD


I don’t know how to describe
How I have changed into this:
A seer of the dead souls,
Despite some limitations.

Believe me I too was once
Entirely a normal being
Carrying out the routine chores
Of a simple peasant’s life.

Me I did not know one day,
Enchanted will be my life;
Whenever I pass the dead,
Highly tense I would become.

At once strong spiritual vibes,
Totally would me engulf.
In a few moments will I
Assume high psychic powers.

Most of the time I would speak
About the dead man’s past life;
So much so that dark secrets,
Even, his I would reveal.

Energy psychic this mine,
Remains in me just a while.
On assuming normal shape,
Forgotten is what transpired.

Though I forget my own words,
Hemmed deep in the mind are they.
Evening comes and when I sleep,
Dreams repeat the scene again.

Engrossed so I get in dreams,
All memories come alive.
During those active moments,
Without fail it so happens:

I see clearly the face
That belonged to the dead man.
Him I see as he looked in
Last moments before the death.

I don’t think it is a gift,
Me I think it is a curse.
I am no more normal now,
Truly my life is disturbed.

A day may come yet I hope,
That will bring an end to this;
I shall cease to be a seer,
Of my “gift” I shall be shorn.

No more wish I have for now.
Soon I be curse-free somehow!


* Written as a non-rhyming quatrain in 7-7-7-7 format


* Awarded second prize in the contest "Invalid Item"  where an acrostic had to be written around the prompt—“I had become what I am: a seer of the dead with limitations”.


M C Gupta
Created:11 April 2005