Swan of Dying Lake

Beforetime there existed, guardian,
Of dying lake, it ‘twas a swan,
Faultless, unbroken and esteemed,
The guardian swam, to lotus leaves.

The lotus would perish, with the lake,
And its remains, would drift away,
Rotten with premature decay,
Swan knew, it would degenerate.

The lotus, creamy white,
With comeliness, which had persisted, erewhile,
Betimes, the winsomeness would fragment,
And yet, lingered, the guardian of lake.

Forsooth, the swan was in love with the lotus,
It had seen the world, through its floral petals,
Crimson beauty, so spread out,
In symmetry, lotus had called out.

Ardent was swan, it could have but chosen,
Many others, who were just as noble,
In warmth, love and compassion,
They had matched, the guardian.

Nigh, said swan, to all others,
It would have only stayed with the lotus,
The lotus, the one, who enthralled,
For the lotus, guardian stayed behind.

But died the lake, come occasion,
‘Twas now, the summer season,
I prithee, go away said lotus,
So that I may die in all quiet.

The guardian promised to hang on,
To lotus, who would anyway find an end,
And so, in dying lake, swan finds reprieve,
Pardie, guardian has chosen to perish.

5:07 pm, 30th January, 2010.