With Apology to Keats

Here’s a lyrical poem with a recall of Keats, in Different Truths. Elsy’s interpretation is interesting.

There is many a slip
between the cup and the lip,
so the aphorism goes.

Sipping the cup is bliss,
slipping the cup is woe,
so do most presume.

Present, scans the past,
with a smile in one eye,
and a tear in the other,

sizing up gains and loss.
Hindsight steps in
silently asserting,

“gaining what one wants
may become one’s want,
losing what one wants,
may perhaps be a chance”!

At times, it is luckier
to have the cup slip,
before a chance to sip.

Sipped cups are sweet,
those unsipped are sweeter!

©Elsy Satheesan

Pix from Net.

author avatar
Elsy Satheesan
Elsy Satheesan is a retired Professor of English. She had been teaching in colleges under the Govt. of Kerala, India. Currently, she resides in Virginia, USA. ‘Random Musings’ is her first volume of poems. ‘Summer Snow’, is the forthcoming one. Her poems have been published in national and international anthologies. Short stories in Malayalam have been published in weekly and fortnightly, in Kerala. Humanity is her religion, and poetry, her passion.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Releated Posts

Resistance Poetry: Victoria Amelina’s Voice in the Ukraine War

Dr Ketaki examines the influence of the Ukrainian poet Victoria Amelina on war poetry, comparing her work with…

ByByDr Ketaki DattaJan 31, 2025

Feeling My Soul’s Presence Through Love, Scent and Memory

Francesco’s evocative poem explores the unseen yet deeply felt presence of a soul, remembered through sensory details and…

ByByFrancesco FavettaJan 31, 2025

Grandfather’s Wisdom: Stories of Love and Life

Dr Amrinder’s poem, featuring a young child discussing his grandfather’s ageing body, imparts life lessons through vivid metaphors…

Lost Love: Navigating the Pain of Separation

Ketaki’s poignant poem, exclusively for Different Truths, is a poignant exploration of lost love, the emotional turmoil and…

ByByKetaki MazumdarJan 29, 2025