Florentino Ariza has had 622 serious relationships (combo pack with sex) apart from numerous fleeting liaisons before he is able to embrace the only woman whom he loved with all his heart and soul. And that embrace happens “after a long and troubled love affair” that lasted 51 years, 9 months, and 4 days. Florentino is in his late 70s when he is able to behold, and hold as well, the very body of his beloved Fermina, who is just a few years younger than him. She now stands before him with her wrinkled shoulders, sagged breasts, and flabby skin that is as pale and cold as a frog’s. It is the culmination of a long, very long, wait as far as Florentino is concerned, the end of his passionate quest for his holy grail. “I’ve remained a virgin for you,” he says. All those 622 and more women whose details filled the 25 diaries that he kept writing with meticulous devotion have now vanished into thin air. They mean nothing now that he has reached where he longed to reach all his life. The
That is so true. Profound.
ReplyDeletehmmmm so true
ReplyDeletebeautiful... :)
ReplyDeleteright :).........
ReplyDeletewow .. !
ReplyDeletegreat and 100% right
ReplyDeletePoignant... :-(
ReplyDeleteAmazing what you can put across in just three lines!
ReplyDeleteSir..you spoke heart out in just few words :) Jai Ho ! :)
ReplyDeleteTo be laconic in a way that is profound is the essence of writing and here we have a sample of it with poetical perfection. That is simply superb.
ReplyDeleteYes, broken dreams make a good basis for poem but then our life is usually full of broken dreams. Does this mean our life too is a poem?
ReplyDeleteHi! It's been a while. I never read a poem by you before. It was tasty.
ReplyDeleteHi Shovon, it was splendid to see you in today's Hindu Literary Supplement. All the best for yur novel. I'll read it.
DeleteBeautiful and deep!!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant Haiku-like crispness! hhm broken dreams!
ReplyDeleteI told my husband another poem:
Cinema is a poem of life for two hours.
Oh, no, wings. Not every movie. Yu should have watched what was screened yesterday: the sound was utter flop.
DeleteBeautiful,touching and true....Thanks!
ReplyDelete