Hello everyone. I promised you all that there will be another installment of this series of poems. This is the tenth one. Okay first of all what is going on with me. I am better but not 100% well. The infection is in my throat so I cannot have prolong talk. So my blogtv friends sorry I cannot do a show until I feel comfortable. Other than that, I am having the time of my life writing what I want, eating, sleeping, watching T.V. See it is Christmas season so everyone be sure to say Merry Christmas than Happy Holidays. I love this season even when I was in India.Even though I am a Sufi Muslim the season of giving can only bring the good out of people, good done by anyone is good and good is the truth of every religion.
Now back to my teenage days Heroine, Tess, she is one character that influenced me for over 20 years now. The way Thomas Hardy build this character, made me a poet. Well in a way people can say I am living in thoughts that came to my mind 20 years ago. Let them say what I want, I don’t care, I will care whoever care about me as who I am. Maybe it is so childish to even think about such a project of writing a whole novel as poems. Well that’s who I am.
This is the last of the poems, here it ends, there are people who came to my site because of this and then there are people who went away because of the calamity that came out during the process of writing of this. Good and bad are there in everything. I am no exception. Those who went away showing the beautiful insanity of mine should know, I never harmed anyone hope they won’t curse me for being just a poet. Said all that, Here it ends after four and half years I finished it. I am happy and a little sad, because of the loss of a friend.
I will be back with more poems of my ideas soon, sooner than you can imagine. Pray for me folks, friend, relatives and my lovely little darling.
Make sure you read the whole poem and then there is a foot note after the poem. It is important.
Tess Of The D’Urbervilles-Phase The Seventh-The Fulfillment-Part2.
Angel Clare as if in a tragic trance walked,
Back to the hotel where he stayed,
What he ate or drank he knew not,
Settling the bills there like a machine out he went,
A telegram from his mom missed him not,
That said, the gladness of his mother to know his whereabouts,
And it also said, his brother Cuthbert to Mercy Chant proposed,
And had been accepted by her, O’ nothing Angel felt.
To the station he walked not bothering,
What went around or where he should go,
No train for another hour kept him there,
He walked out with only one thought,
Keep moving away from that place as far, as fast.
Along a highway uphill he went,
In a busy town, a path deserted,
When about to turn far down the path he came,
He saw a spot coming fast as if to overtake him,
A fancy though like a lightning through his mind passed,
That it was his wife trying to catch up with him.
Though the idea was a fancy thought,
Even when Tess up close to him reached,
Recognized her not as Angel stood there watching.
With a pitiful smile on her face she spoke,
That she saw him when away from the station he turned,
The to him she said why for all the way she ran,
“I killed him Angel”.
Angel all frowning as if she was in a dream asked,
“What?”
With eyes shinning like two suns she spoke,
” Done it I have Angel, I have done it,
As to myself and more than that to you I owe,
The fear of it long ago to my mind came,
When on his mouth with my glove I stuck,
Oh’ that thought’s haunting this day ended,
As for the trap during the innocence of youth he set,
And the wrong to you he did through my misery,
Between us he or a thought of him or his news came,
And both of us in life he ruined,
Now he can never do it any more.
Awe stuck Angel without a breath stood,
As Tess in her passion without compassion continued,
“Never ever I loved at all Angel as it is you I loved,
Know it, don’t you? Believed it don’t you?
You didn’t come back to me and I was obliged,
In the hardships of life to go back to him.
Why you went away, why did you, when I loved you so?
I can think why you did it.
Never will I blame you alone Angel,
And for my sin will you forgive me,
Now that I have killed him?
All the way I ran to be sure you forgive,
As it came to me as a shining light that I should,
Get you back that as I cannot bear,
The loss of you and you know,
How I was unable to bear you not loving me.
Say you do love me now Say,
My dear husband say you do,
Now that I have killed him.
Angel as hard as he could held her,
And told her he do love her,
Still in disbelief at her he looked,
She told him how much he nagged,
And taunted her over crying for Angel,
And she told she did it.
With the promise of protection Angel took,
Tess and away they both walked,
Miles and miles without saying much they walked,
And then Tess to him asked,
:”Are we going anywhere in particular?”
Not knowing what to do or doing Angel said,
“I don’t know, dearest. Why?”
Tess with no expression said “I don’t know”.
The walk for many more miles continued,
As Tess to Angel told she can forever walk,
With arms around of the love she loved.
Found food and under a tree they sat and ate,
Then took off with plans to reach the interior lands,
When until forgotten from the world they can hide,
And later to make it a port from where they can leave,
The lands they took birth, lived, loved, unloved and she killed for love.
All her intellect now to Angel bound,
Tess holding Angel a little more tighter walked,
And by evening the both reached,
Bramshurst Court which was closed to let,
They went around the mansion trying to find a place to sleep,
In the end through an open lower window they both crept,
Into the mansion all empty where no soul known,
That a husband and wife for their first night prepared.
“Rest at last” he said when the remaining food he unpacked,
After the meal for a long time in quietness they spent,
The she whispered to his ear his sleep walk adventure,
Carrying her to the old cemetery and he laid,
Her in the old stone coffin which until that day he had not known.
For his protests Tess just told,
Past is past and nothing of the outside at that moment she thought,
What tomorrow brings to take tomorrow she prepared.
The next day all wet and foggy and none came by to disturb,
The couple who slept, awoke, ate and slept together again,
Five days slipped by with only Angel once a while creeping,
To gather food from the near by town,
Angel in between to Tess told,
To leave that place and move to deep interior country lands,
And to him she told why should they put an end,
To all the sweet and lovely as what is to come will come,
And all that is out there is trouble and what is inside is content.
Pressing her cheek against his she continued,
That what he may think of her as feeling may not last,
And his present feeling for her to outlive she did not wished,
And to him she pledged,
She would rather be dead and be buried,
When a time come for him to despise her,
So it may have never known to her he despised.
Angel once more promised he can never despise her,
Oh’ for which Tess to Angel told,
Why should any man ever help not to despise her,
For her madness and her wickedness,
As a girl who never hurt a fly and will cry,
When in the sight of a bird in a cage,
Who now stands cheek to cheek to Angel,
Days after the life of another man she took.
The next day woke in the shine of the lord of the day,
On that bright day the caretaker of the house came by,
And found the sleepers in the bed room of the old mansion.
She instantly to the neighborhood left,
And the sleepers our charming couple woke,
As they knew, something, not each other disturbed their sleep,
As soon as they can the mansion Tess and Angel left,
On her way back at the mansion she looked and said,
“Ah, happy house—goodbye!”
My life can only be a question of a few weeks.
Why should we not have stayed there?”.
They both through inland roads walked,
Passing through cities and walking over bridges,
In the cover of dark once more Tess walked,
With her dear, wonderful husband holding her hands.
Through the dark deep into some lands they went,
The half moon did his hide and seek game with the clouds,
And then as through some plain lands they walked they reached,
Vast erections of stones which in the dark they could not see,
As they rested and walked around feeling,
Where in the world they have reached,
They both understood in the middle of Stonehenge they are.
Tess told Angel she could not walk anymore,
Even though Angel want her to go along,
As that place from miles could be visible,
And daybreak he knew was not that long away.
Angel obliged and along with Tess he stayed,
Upon the altar she laid joking about the sacrifices old folks made,
Then she murmured to herself all aloud,
“I like it very much to be here,
After my great happiness with nothing but sky above,
My face and feels as if no folks in the world but we two,
And I wish there were not – except Liza Lu:”.
Then to her came the purest thoughts,
And to Angel holding his hands she told,
“Angel if something to me happens,
For my sake Liza Lu you must watch”.
Angel promised he will and said nothing more.
Then Tess said what made her the purest soul,
“So simple and so good she is,
O Angel I wish you would marry her,
If you lose me, as shortly you will,
O if you would”.
Angel interrupted Tess and said,
“If I lose you dear I lose all,
And she is my sister-in-law”.
Tess raised her voice and said,
“That’s nothing O dear that’s nothing,
People marry sister-in-laws all the time,
So gentle is Liza Lu and so sweet,
And every gone by day beautiful she grow,
If we are spirits, I could share her with you willingly,
If you would train her and teach her,
Angel and bring her up for your own self?
She had all the best of me,
And not the bad of me,
And if she were to become yours,
It is as if death had not divided us”
Then she paused and to him told,
“Well, I have said it, never again I will mention it”.
Angel spoke no words as Tess only heard,
The breathing of Angel so close by,
Then while talking about the Stonehenge again she asked,
“Tell me Angel, will we meet again after we are dead?”
Angel searching for words found none once more,
But kissed her to avoid a reply at such time.
Tess suppressed her sob and to him told,
“O Angel that means no,
To see you again and love you more I want,
What not even you and I who love each other so well?”
Angel lost all his words as no knowledge of him can speak,
To the love of a soul so innocent and pure,
He only listened to her breathing in regular grow,
As he know the Angels of sleep consumed her now.
Angel laid there with his hand in her lose clasp,
And watched the darkness by the first ray torn,
Sun behind the eastward boulder slowly rose,
And behind him a brush of feet he heard,
Getting up Angel in distance saw,
A figure slowly and steadily closing by,
Turning around on the other side another figure he saw,
Walking towards the figure Angel for some weapon searched,
Then the first figure to Angel told,
“No use Sir, sixteen of us are on the plain,
And the whole country is reared”
Angel to the officers implored,
Not to wake her up but let her sleep,
And all waited in the growing light,
Watching her sleep in peace one last time,
The grew strong and upon her face fell,
Waking her from her sleep,
Waking up to Angel she asked,
“What is it Angel, Have they come for me?”
Angel acknowledged in all helplessness.
Getting up, to Angel she told,
“It is as it should be, Angel, I am almost glad,
Yes glad I am as this happiness could not have lasted,
Too much it was and enough I had,
And now I shall not live for you to despise me”.
She shook herself and went forward as both men did not moved,
And very quietly told “I am ready”.
The city of Wintoncester capital of Wessex woke,
On a bright summer day in all shine and sound,
From between the narrow roads and houses seen,
Two people walking hand in hand out of the city in haste,
Angel Clare and the other a tall budding girl,
Half girl, half woman, the spiritual image of Tess,
Slightly slim than Tess, but all her charm on her growing,
With the same beautiful eyes of Tess showing,
The outer layer of a wonderful soul,
Clare’s Sister-In-Law Liza Lu along him walked,
With head down and in brisk pace they both walked,
As if running away from something they don’t want to hear or see.
When up the west hill they reached,
The clocks in the city stuck eight,
They both stopped and back at the cityscape they looked,
The whole valley from up there they both can see,
None of the valley or it beauty they both cared,
Both at an ugly tower in the middle of evergreen oaks looked,
Upon the tower a tall staff was fixed both their sight,
Then slowly something moved up that staff,
Soon not just they the whole town saw that black flag.
“Justice:” was done, and the president of the immortals,
In the Aéschylean phrase has ended,
His sport with Tess,
The dames and knights of the D’Urbervilles slept,
In their lead tombs unknowing.
Angel and Liza stood first speechless,
Then they both all their strength lost,
And down to earth they both bend,
As if in prayer they both stayed,
Everything Liza Lu known till that day,
To her senses came through Tess,
Nothing she can say on her own,
As the pain of parting of Tess consumed,
No tears or words of prayer came,
Then from the depths of her soul a whisper she heard,
Oh’ what a life in this short time you lived,
In it through every means you only served,
Compassion, unselfishness and above all love,
Shown to the world what life in all its wonder can steal,
Away from a soul the very essence of life,
Lived my life in the shadows of yours,
Though far away from me you stayed lately,
When nothing I know to do to you I rushed,
And leaving all to us you came,
And to the world our family you raised,
When throwing sanctity of yours in fires of pyre,
First the pain of the unjust world you faced,
And death you took to purify lives of all of us,
But for the care of us O Tess you would have lived,
Life in happiness in a way you may choose,
Even when darkness into your eyes crept,
Still happiness of me and the love of yours you kept high,
In my silly thoughts I thought no life without you I have,
But the love of yours the one who in every means love you,
Oh’ helpless and without strength beside me sit,
O Tess my darling sister I can feel,
The soul of yours not with a weeping face watch,
But the smile in real I always cherished to watch,
And this body of mine for the soul of yours I surrender,
As everything that made you smile I will do,
To make you smile deep inside my soul,
And the world you loved and the ones that loves you,
When upon my eyes they look will see,
The smiling Tess who kept all pain away from all who cared,
And I will live the rest of my life to give strength,
To all who felt the strength of your compassion and love.
Oh’ the world may not know,
When spiritually people to each other connect,
Nothing material, be it space, distance or even death,
Can in between them come,
When materially one lose the other all strength the other will lose.
No strength anywhere in thoughts or prayers Angel found,
As the pain of losing the love that is bound to his soul he felt lost
Liza Lu first got up with the strength she gained,
Then looked at Angel who in helplessness on his knees stood,
Then to him in a bold voice he recently heard she told,
“I am ready”.
Raised his eyes and on to her eyes he looked,
Liza Lu’s promise in the whispers of her soul she kept,
As all the strength Angel lost, through his senses back to him came,
Took her stretched hands and got up and held her hand in clasp,
And walked away from the black flag that waved silently.
The End.
The extended ending is a change I made from the original text. Actually I am not a person who believes in changing one author’s work in anyway when another person in another form of writing adapts the story. Here I was trying to adapt the story as is. But in the ending Thomas Hardy leaves a gap or something not easily understood by all. I am going to give the actual paragraph Thomas Hardy wrote
“Justice” was done, and the President of the Immortals, in Aéschylean phrase, had ended his sport with Tess. And the d’Urberville knights and dames slept on in their tombs unknowing. The two speechless gazers bent themselves down to the earth, as if in prayer, and remained thus a long time, absolutely motionless: the flag continued to wave silently. As soon as they had strength, they arose, joined hands again, and went on.”
Okay you see what Thomas Hardy is saying “As soon as they had strength” wow, look who are walking away, Angel Clare and Liza Lu, for Angel Clare, his soul is bound to her soul and that soul leaving the material world means he can never ever gain any strength to even move a finger. Then what can bring in this strength. The very words of Tess in which she says
“O, I could share you with her willingly when we are spirits! If you would train her and teach her, Angel, and bring her up for your own self! … She had all the best of me without the bad of me;”
So at that point Tess really can’t die in the soul of Liza Lu. The only strength even Liza Lu who owes everything in her life for whom and family Tess thrown every bit of her sanctity, integrity and decency away can only find strength in Tess. So this is my way of saying how they found the strength. Just a bit of poetic extension. I hope Thomas Hardy is not growling in his grave for me writing what he thought and did not wrote but left people to find in their imagination. I only wrote my imagination and added to it. If someone else have a different idea about this, that’s their interpretation of the gap Thomas Hardy left in his own book. Bring it on I would love to hear it and I will enjoy it. But don’t do like what Roman Polanski did at the end of his movie by totally avoiding this poetic ending of the story. I hope you all enjoyed this adventure of mine. Like I said earlier, here it ends and with it ends many things that came along with the thought process and writing of this. May God Smile Upon You All, Always.
Here are the previous phases.
Tess Of The D’Urbervilles. Phase The First–The Maiden.
Tess Of The
D’Urbervilles-Phase The Second–Maiden No More
Tess Of The
D’Urbervilles-Phase The Third–The Rally.
Tess Of The D’Urbervilles Phase The Fourth–The Consequence.
Tess Of The D’Urbervilles Phase The Fifth–The Woman Pays-Part 1.
Tess Of The D’Urbervilles-Phase The Fifth-Part 2-The Plight, In Tears And Hope.
Tess Of The
D’Urbervilles-Phase The Sixth–The Convert-Part 1.
Tess Of The
D’Urbervilles-Phase The Sixth–The Convert-Part 2.
Tess Of The
D’Urbervilles-Phase The Seventh–The Fulfillment-Part 1.
Here is the original text I followed to write this part of the Novel as a poem. Tess Of The D’Urbervilles-Phase The Seventh-The Fulfillment.
