AfterMath

By Ashwath Ramesh

They asked a query from tricky trigue,

A query on a cloud and a lake blue…

They asked for the height of the vapour,

Given some angles in black on paper…

Wrong I did it, Physics I forgot,

I thought it not, used it not,

That object n image cut equally the plane…

Thus did a cloud become my bane…

I knew not that I’d done wrong,

I was happy, humming a song,

Till my mate explained, in glee,

And caused my soul strain to flee…

The face of mom, the face of dad,

The face of sir, in coldness clad,

When I told them of six marks flown…

Oh! I wished then I’d never been known!!

First came shock, at what I’d done,

At how easily I’d been won,

On the very day my exams were spent,

When I’d been expecting a cent…

Then came despair, as my hopes sank,

For down with mark went my rank…

My pride gone, my work wasted;

Worry came, to spoil the hols instead…

Then shame, from in and from all,

As my name began to fall…

For I’d made a huge mistake,

By not taking a line ‘low the lake!!

And then they asked, “Why’d u do so?”

“and that in Math”, “Where’d ur brain go?”

Ah! There surfaced frosty frustration…

Was Math their only passion??

Why do they for Math alone bawl?

Why should it be the gem among all?

Oh! It’s important, all very fine,

But in Social had I got ninety nine!

Why do they see but what I’ve lost?

Why treat the gained as past?

Perfectly had I done twenty nine pertrois,

But only to the one do they call AHOY!

Thus on what was to be a day of peace,

I was cut in many a sorry piece…

As my marks not only made me weep,

But came thither to spoil my sleep!

By Ashwath Ramesh